Brucker has been able to tell us more about his subject than anyone else in so short a space, and he has done so with intelligence and verve. . . . Indeed, there is no other book about Florence in the period which combines such a broad range of archival sources-family records, economic records, records of church and state-with the standard literary sources in such an original and effective way. . . . But of all things about the book, I liked best his use of the pointed, personal example-product of his labor in the archives. His stories about Florentines, from slave girl to priest to patrician, truly bring them and their city to life. * American Historical Review *
Among the major strengths of this book, and there are many, is the fact that the author, while dividing the discussion into manageable compartments, refuses to be bounded by them, and labors successfully throughout to show their interrelations. Moreover, to a greater extent than any other general work on a Renaissance city, this book uses unpublished material drawn from contemporary sources to develop and illustrate its points. The scholar, the student, and the elusive 'general reader' will find their interest and involvement quickening because of this frequent encounter with the raw material of history. * Social Science *
