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Summary: The Florentine Shopkeepers Who Once Ruled the World
Review: Hibbert takes us on a comprehensive historical survey of the Medici family and its relationship with the Florentines. Early on we meet the major luminaries such as Lorenzo the Magnificent, the Medicis' humanism and learn of the immense power of the Medici Bank. But the story reaches its emotional climax when the Medici Popes Leo X and Clement VII reign overHigh Renaissance Rome. In this respect, the history of the Medicis is not dissimilar to the history of the Ottomans or the Habsburgs, because the story lingers well after the demise of the dynasty's most powerful figures. The long, slow decline winds out of the High and into the Late Renaissance, then to the early eighteenth century, by which time Florence has become an hereditary duchy and the Medici line is extinguished. Well illustrated, well narrated, with only one criticism: there is but a passing paragraph for the French offshoots of the Medici clan (Catherine de Medici and, later, Maria, and their respective progeny).
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Summary: strong, readable treatment of the Medici
Review: Hibbert's treatment of the Medici is superb. He brings individual figures to life with well-chosen detail without losing sight of the "big picture" of social change in Medici Florence.
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Summary: The Medicis, patrons of the great artists.
Review: I loved this book. It kept me interested from beginning to end. When I was taking a course on Renaissance art I read Hibbert's book for fun along with the class. The Medicis' art patronage is inspirational and the history of their lives filled me with interest.
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Summary: Good Travel Book
Review: I purchased The House of Medici: Its Rise and Fall by Christopher Hibbert because I was planning a trip to Florence and wanted to know about the city's history. As it happened I read the book during the stay and had a chance to relate the places and people that were discussed with what I was seeing at the time. In this vein, the book was excellent. It certainly puts much of what was seen when traveling into perspective.However, as pure history, the book is interesting but superficial. The most substantial portion of the book is reserved for Cosimo the Elder and Lorenzo the Magnificent. By far Cosimo, who was the Medici who built the family fortune and allowed the family to expand its influence through out Europe, was the most interesting. For the other Medicis, Hibbert gives the basic facts with little insight as to the hows and whys. When he moves onto the Medici' as actual rulers of Florence the book really takes a dive. Duke Cosimo I, who expanded Florence to the height of its political and territorial strength is superficially discussed. Hibbert seems to be very sympathetic to the Medici's and wants to give them much of the credit for the art and culture of the Renaissance. That colors the perspective of the book and explains the focus of the book.
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Summary: Readable history
Review: I read this book when I was writing my dissertation around the subject. It was a pleasant surprise after absorbing so many dry text books - it reads like a story. The carnivals, artists and daily trials of life in Renaissance Florence are vividly described in this book. A detailed history and a fascinating insight into one of the richest areas of Italian history.
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Summary: A Good Introduction
Review: I think that the book is an ideal launch pad for those who know little or nothing about the topic (such as myself). The book is very readable and the level of detail is sufficient for one to form a reasonably good knowledge base on the subject. Personally, was a little disappointed that book contained more detail about the Medici's contribution to the arts but very little on the actual business enterprise that allowed them to accumulate so much wealth.
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Summary: Read this too!
Review: I tried once before to submit a review of this book. I don't see it today, so I'll try again. This book is not that great in one respect: History has changed a lot in the last decade, and it seems this book has not been updated in terms of content since its first edition of 1974. To give you an example, author relies on Vasari, a serious gossipmonger, a man of his times. How can a modern historian rely on a bad biographer and still sell well? Read all other reviews with 5 stars to get an answer. Personally, I wish there were many, many more biographies in English of the Medici so that we can at least acquire better judgment. Thanks.
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Summary: History comes to life of city-state Italy & the papacy
Review: Seeing Lorenzo il magnifico's mean face around Florence, I thought he would be one of the bad guys in the Medici family. He was not. Hibbert makes the history and politics behind the busts and paintings of cinquecento Florence come to life. His story about the House of Medici explains this ruling family's extinction along with the odd fact that their name is still plastered all over Florence, and Fiesole, too, centuries later. The great storyteller, Hibbert portrays the survivalist instinct of a few individuals that did not allow the Medici name to become extinct along with its people. Hibbert describes another time and another Italy, before, during and after the Renaissance (cinquecento). People die suddenly. Florence is a seat of world power. Members of an early merchant family, the Medici personages from numerous generations take key actions. Hibbert gives us the context of their cirsumstances. They almost all get gout, too. Wealth was a sin. The Vatican had an army. At this time, new thinkers were put before the inquisition. However, the Medicis had a hand in protecting and promoting the discussion and dissemination of new ideas. The Medicis, and Florence, deserve to be remembered for their shelter of the people with the new ideas that became known as the Renaissance. Good novel quality.
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Summary: Very good detail
Review: This account of the House of Medici is definitely worth reading. It chronicles its time as a prominent and important Florentine family to its rule as Grand Dukes of Tuscany. A very good tale that is easy to read, although it isn't as well documented as it should be.
At times it would dry up as the author details in too much detail the works of art that the Medici family sank their money into or the artists they commissioned, which dragged on the telling of their history.
All in all, though, the Medici are well understood and the reader can follow from point A to B easily and understand the ups and downs of this important Florentine family. I gave it a four because it isn't documented as well as it should be.
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Summary: Polaroid View of History
Review: This book focuses on a fascinating period, but the camera (i.e. Historian Christopher Hibbert) is a polaroid camera, so the image is not particularly sharp and enchanting. As I read this book I realised that it could have been written by almost anyone in a university history department. It didn't have a disntinctive style or anything particular to say. It just ran through the gamut of the subject in an entirely predicatable way -- the rise of the city state, trade more important than before, new ways of thinking but respect for the ways of the Church, the rise of the 'new man' and the threat this posed to the putative democracy of the city state, the fate of the Medici tied to the varying abilities of different members, an interest in the arts, the gradual co-opting of the Medici to the old nobility, etc. etc. The phrase 'scissors and paste attempt' kept running through my mind as I turned the pages, a thought further emphasised by the poor quality of the paper on which the book was printed and the cover, which soon curled up even though I had read it quickly and only once.
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