If history remembers Lucrezia Borgia at all, it is as a woman of extravagant vices whose name has become synonymous with political intrigue and poison. Cardinal Bembo is remembered primarily as the namesake of a popular typeface. But as this book of letters reveals, there was real substance, and real faces, to both of them. Borgia, a child bride who was ruthlessly exploited for political advantage by her three husbands, proved to be a girl of surprising resilience and cunning, anything but a monster. Pietro Bembo, the ...
Read More
If history remembers Lucrezia Borgia at all, it is as a woman of extravagant vices whose name has become synonymous with political intrigue and poison. Cardinal Bembo is remembered primarily as the namesake of a popular typeface. But as this book of letters reveals, there was real substance, and real faces, to both of them. Borgia, a child bride who was ruthlessly exploited for political advantage by her three husbands, proved to be a girl of surprising resilience and cunning, anything but a monster. Pietro Bembo, the learned and (as demonstrated here) surpassingly gentle scholar, was the perfect product of the Renaissance. The covert love affair they conducted over sixteen years under the nose of Borgia s ruthless brother, Cesare, was as dangerous as it was impassioned and their letters, which provide a unique record of life during the Italian Renaissance, are a testament both to a relationship of rare beauty and to a feudal society of strict boundaries, dark dynastic drives, boundless political ambition, and extraordinary gallantry. Set in (what else?) Monotype Bembo, illustrated with the charming and delicate wood engravings of Shirley Smith, this elegant paperback will be a memorable gift for modern lovers.
Read Less
Add this copy of Prettiest Love Letters in the World: Letters Between to cart. $19.00, very good condition, Sold by Powell's Books Chicago rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Chicago, IL, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by David R. Godine Publisher.
Add this copy of Prettiest Love Letters in the World: the Letters to cart. $26.24, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 1987 by David R. Godine Publisher.
Add this copy of Prettiest Love Letters in the World: the Letters to cart. $26.39, good condition, Sold by Friends Tucson rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Tucson, AZ, UNITED STATES, published 1987 by David R. Godine Publisher.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Hardcover. NOT Ex-library. Dust jacket included. Clean pages and tight binding. This item is in good condition. May show moderate signs of use. Until further notice, USPS Priority Mail only reliable option for Hawaii. Proceeds benefit the Pima County Public Library system, which serves Tucson and southern Arizona.
Add this copy of Prettiest Love Letters in the World: the Letters to cart. $26.43, very good condition, Sold by St. Vinnie's Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Eugene, OR, UNITED STATES, published 1987 by David R. Godine Publisher.
Add this copy of Prettiest Love Letters in the World: the Letters to cart. $47.00, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by David R. Godine Publisher.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. Minor shelf and handling wear, overall a clean solid copy with minimal signs of use. The text block includes extensive drawings to supplement the text. Secure packaging for safe delivery.
Add this copy of Prettiest Love Letters in the World: the Letters to cart. $50.81, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by David R. Godine, Publisher.
Add this copy of The Prettiest Love Letters in the World to cart. $52.00, very good condition, Sold by Fox & Hedgehog rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Moraga, CA, UNITED STATES, published 1987 by David R. Godine, Publisher.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Wood engravings by Richard Shirley Smith. Near Fine in Very Good jacket. Letters between Lucrezia Borgia & Pietro Bembo 1503 to 1519. 2L. Full cloth-covered boards, in dustjacket. Preceded by limited U.K. edition under the title "Messer Pietro Mio." Text in English, but with the quotations from Petrarch in Italian and English on facing pages. A nice copy. Firm binding, square spine and intact hinges. No marks. Slightest bumps to corners, creasing to spine-ends. Boards very slightly bowed. Unclipped dustjacket has a quarter-inch tear with light creasing top edge front panel, else very little wear.
Add this copy of Prettiest Love Letters in the World: the Letters to cart. $60.00, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by David R. Godine Publisher.
