An insider's view of court life and culture during the Renaissance, here is the handiwork of a 16th-century diplomat who was called upon to resolve the differences in a war of etiquette among the Italian nobility. The ultimate resource on aristocratic manners, it remains the most definitive account of life among the Renaissance nobility. Unabridged republication of the Leonard Eckstein Opdycke translation originally published by Horace Liveright, New York, in 1901.
The Prince by Niccoḷ Machiavelli Classic, Renaissance-era guide to acquiring and maintaining political power. Today, nearly 500 years after it was written, this calculating prescription for autocratic rule continues to be much read and studied.
The Art of Worldly Wisdom by Baltasar Gracián, Joseph Jacobs Published in 1637 by a Spanish Jesuit scholar, this volume features 300 pithy maxims on politics, professional life, and personal development. Gracian's timeless advice, focusing on honesty and kindness, remains ever popular.
