Contemporary

Book I of a trilogy based on a true story of the Italian Renaissance, structured on Dante’s The Divine Comedy.

Florence celebrated its Golden Age during the late 15th century under Lorenzo de’ Medici, the Magnificent. This was the age of artists, philosophers and poets like Leonardo, Michelangelo, Botticelli, and Machiavelli.But a societal crisis was imminent by the century’s last decade. As chaos loomed, an obscure Dominican friar, Girolamo Savonarola, arose to restore order. A charismatic preacher and prophet who advocated religious and political reform, his mission was to transform his corrupt society into St. Augustine’s mythical City of God. At the height of his reign he orchestrated the infamous Bonfire of the Vanities, fomenting a wave of popular discontent to become the most influential religious and political figure of the age. His theocratic republic left its indelible mark on the face of Florence, Italy, and Western history.The City of Man is the dramatic story of this preacher’s fantastic rise and tragic fall. Young Niccolo Machiavelli provides the counterpoint to Savonarola as he develops his new political philosophy. Their momentous clash illuminates the transition from the Age of Faith to the Age of Reason, heralding the birth of our modern age.

Formatted especially for the Kindle, the digital version incorporates special features to explore the world of Renaissance Florence, including maps, family trees, art images, dozens of internal and external hyperlinks to biographies and historical events, an extensive glossary and selected scene index.