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Dante: The Life of a Political Maverick in the Shadow of Empire

James Gray

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Published in Dante: A Life (Penguin Lives)

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Dante: The Life Of A Political Maverick In The Shadow Of Empire, By Judith Herrin Dante: A Life (Penguin Lives)

By Judith Herrin

Dante: A Life (Penguin Lives)

by R. W. B. Lewis

4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	825 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	224 pages

Dante Alighieri, the towering figure of Italian literature, is known to us primarily through his masterpiece, The Divine Comedy. But who was the man behind the poet, and how did his life and times shape his work?

In her captivating new biography, Dante: The Life of a Political Maverick in the Shadow of Empire, Judith Herrin paints a vivid portrait of the poet against the backdrop of the turbulent political and religious upheavals of his time.

Born in Florence in 1265, Dante was a man of deep passions and fierce loyalties. He witnessed firsthand the bloody factional struggles that tore his city apart, and his own political beliefs led him into exile, where he would spend the rest of his life.

Herrin follows Dante's journey from his early years as a poet and politician to his exile in Ravenna, where he wrote The Divine Comedy. She explores his relationships with his family, friends, and enemies, and traces the development of his political thought.

Through meticulous research and lively prose, Herrin brings to life the world of Dante's time. She describes the bustling streets of medieval Florence, the grandeur of the papal court in Rome, and the squalor of the exile communities in which Dante lived.

Herrin also explores the religious and intellectual currents that shaped Dante's thought. She shows how his experience of love, loss, and exile led him to a profound understanding of human nature and the divine.

Dante: The Life of a Political Maverick in the Shadow of Empire is a masterful biography that offers a fresh perspective on one of the greatest poets in history. Herrin's vivid writing and deep scholarship bring Dante to life, and her book will be essential reading for anyone interested in the man and his work.

Reviews

"A monumental achievement. Herrin has written the definitive biography of Dante, a work that is both erudite and accessible, and that sheds new light on the poet's life and work."- John Najemy, author of Between Florence and Venice: Late Medieval and Early Renaissance Italy

"Herrin's Dante is a triumph of scholarship and imagination. She brings the poet and his world to life with stunning clarity and insight."- Patricia Fortini Brown, author of Venice and its Empire, from the Late Middle Ages through the Early Modern Period

"Dante: The Life of a Political Maverick in the Shadow of Empire is a masterpiece of historical writing. Herrin's deep understanding of Dante's life and times, and her gift for storytelling, make this book a must-read for anyone interested in the poet and his work."- Craig Kallendorf, author of Humanism and Tyranny: Studies in the Italian Trecento