English Renaissance

"The descriptions are extraordinary. Great descriptions are given of each character and scene." – Royal Palm Literary Award Judge "Lennox's illness is a clever opportunity for the story to turn in a more action-oriented direction, and to sneak in some drama into what might have otherwise been a quiet family story." – Book Pipeline Betrayal and Redemption Lennox's role as a powerful knight once defined him, but being a father fulfills his days. His desire for a life of peace and tranquility has finally come to pass. So, he thinks ... The demons of his past have come calling, threatening ...

Henry Dumas' fiction is a masterful synthesis of myth and religion, culture and nature, mask and identity. From the Deep South to the simmering streets of Harlem, his characters embark on surreal and mythic quests armed only with wit, words, and wisdom. Championed by Toni Morrison, Walter Mosley, and Quincy Troupe, Dumas' books have long been out of print. All of his short fiction is collected here, for the first time, and includes several previously unpublished stories.

Niccolò Machiavelli is the most influential political writer of all time. His name has become synonymous with cynical scheming and the selfish pursuit of power, but the real Machiavelli, says Miles Unger, was a deeply humane and perceptive writer whose controversial theories were a response to the violence and corruption he saw around him. Machiavelli’s philosophy was shaped by the tumultuous age in which he lived, an age of towering geniuses and brutal tyrants. His first political mission was to spy on the fire-and-brimstone preacher Savonarola.

Leonardo da Vinci created the two most famous paintings in history, The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. But in his own mind, he was just as much a man of science and engineering. With a passion that sometimes became obsessive, he pursued innovative studies of anatomy, fossils, birds, the heart, flying machines, botany, geology, and weaponry. His ability to stand at the crossroads of the humanities and the sciences, made iconic by his drawing of Vitruvian Man, made him history's most creative genius.

When Katherine of Aragon is brought to the Tudor court as a young bride, the oldest princess, Margaret, takes her measure. With one look each knows the other for a rival, an ally, a pawn, destined - with Margaret's younger sister, Mary - to a sisterhood unique in all the world. The three sisters will become the queens of England, Scotland, and France.

Step into a verdant world where the whimsy of nature meets the discipline of artistry in "Shaping History," a compelling journey through the graceful and transformative art of topiary. Behold, as our pages unfurl, a lush narrative that transcends time and space, inviting you to explore the intricate dance of human creativity with nature's canvas. "Shaping History" is a meticulously crafted tapestry that weaves together the magnificent tales of topiary from the dawn of ornamental gardens in ancient civilizations to the cutting edge of contemporary design. Traverse through the hidden alcoves ...

In this trenchant twentieth-century satire, George S. Schuyler—fearless provocateur of the Harlem Renaissance—asked: What if there were an invention that could turn everyone’s skin pork-belly pink? Would the plague of white supremacy subside? Would Black people be able to avoid persistent social and economic prejudice? Would the entire arbitrary notion of race become a thing of the past?

"This book is a joy to read for all those looking to uncover the mystery behind what makes us human, what makes us love, and what makes us laugh. The legendary suitcase of secrets has now been revealed in this unforgettable and masterfully told story." - Rita Cosby, Emmy-Winning TV Host and Best-Selling Author. The Manuscript is an extraordinary tale of love, faith, power and the battle between good and evil. It’s a humorous and engrossing read about a book that cannot be read. Pandemic arrives from Asia and decimates medieval Italy. A selfless monk, mired in the suffering around him, ...

Before Langston Hughes and his literary prowess became synonymous with American poetry, he was a seventeen-year-old on a train to Mexico City, seeking funds to pursue his passion. His early poems, beloved verses like “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” were written without formal training, often on the back of napkins and envelopes, and were inspired by the sights and sounds of Black working-class people he encountered in his early life. Blues in Stereo is a posthumous collection of these early works, in which we see Langston Hughes like we’ve never seen him before.

A thirst for learning and a passion for astronomy draw an extraordinary young woman deep into the intellectual maelstrom, political complexities and religious extremism of Renaissance Florence. This beautifully crafted novel will appeal to listeners of Karen Brooks' The Good Wife of Bath and Pip Williams' Dictionary of Lost Words.

In a series of poignant vignettes, a preeminent historian makes a compelling case for Machiavelli as an unjustly maligned figure with valuable political insights that resonate as strongly today as they did in his time.

In 1660, Amsterdam is the trading and map-printing capital of the world. Anneke van Brug is one of the colorists paid to enhance black-and-white maps for a growing number of collectors. Her artistic talent brings her to the attention of the Blaeu printing house, and she begins to color for a rich merchant, Willem de Groot. But Anneke is not content to simply embellish the work of others; she longs to create maps of her own. Cartography, however, is the domain of men - so it is in secret that she borrows the notes her father made on a trip to Africa in 1642 and sets about designing a new map.

Although Genoa cannot compete in the popular imagination with some of Italy’s more famous cities, this busy port town perched above the sea once boasted a powerful empire that rivaled that of Venice. It also lasted for roughly the same time period, rising in the early Middle Ages and coming to an end at the hands of Napoleon Bonaparte near the end of the 18th century. Today, historians are starting to correct the imbalance that has focused on Venice, Florence, and Rome, and new histories are gradually introducing Genoa to the world, even as much remains to be uncovered.

Age Level: 12 and up In this first book of the teen/young adult series of The Gilded Mirror, fifteen-year-old Anna Moore discovers an antique mirror that whisks her back in time to seventeenth-century England. The year is 1643 and the English Civil War is underway. Anna finds herself at Corfe Castle with the Bankes family when the castle is laid siege. Against all odds, she helps the family defend the castle from rebel forces who hopelessly outnumber them. What will happen and will Anna be able to return to her own time? Inspired by true historical events, The Gilded Mirror is an ...

Federico doesn’t mind being a political hostage in the Pope’s palace, especially now that he has a cat as a friend. But he must admit that a kitten walking into a wardrobe and returning full-grown a moment later is quite odd. Even stranger is Herbert, apparently an art collector from the future, who emerges from the wardrobe the next night. Herbert barters with Federico to get a sketch signed by the famous painter Raphael, but his plans take a dangerous turn when he hurries back to his era, desperate to save a dying girl.

My name is Katherine Parr. I’m thirty-one years old – already twice widowed. I love a man I can’t have. I’m to wed a man no one would want. He has cast aside two wives and watched another die in childbirth. Two more have had their heads struck from their bodies, on his order. What will become of me as Henry VIII’s sixth wife? I will have the king’s ear. With that comes power. But power means danger in the Tudor court.

T his is an alternate history novel, set in current times, and depicts events leading up to the second American Revolution. After COVID nearly kills him, Jack Harper cashes out of his frantic life in Silicon Valley, and embarks on a quest for a simpler life. An unexpected event lands him in a small northwest Nebraska town for a long weekend. The tree-lined streets of the town are lovely, but the many empty homes show that the town is dying. A serious lack of opportunities and good jobs are sending the young people away. Jack planned to write a blog article about small towns dying in the ...

The best-selling author of Brunelleschi's Dome and Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling captures the excitement and spirit of the Renaissance in this chronicle of the life and work of "the king of the world's booksellers" and the technological disruption that forever changed the ways knowledge spread.

Adored only child of King Henry VIII and his first wife Katherine of Aragon, young Princess Mary grows up as the sole heiress to the English throne. But her father wants a son, and soon Mary's world begins to fall apart. With her parents' marriage - and England - in crisis, Mary is banished from the court and kept apart from the mother she adores. The King promises to restore his daughter to favour, but first Mary must do something for which she will never forgive herself. She seeks solace in her faith.

With her drunk of a father missing and her mother dead, it falls upon Celeste to protect her younger brothers and sister from starvation. When the burden becomes overwhelming, and Celeste makes plans to escape her wretched life, her wealthy aunt appears and whisks her off to work as a nanny to young Federigo Benetto. One day, as Celeste escorts Federigo to his art lesson with Maestro Luciano Vicente, the maestro discovers a sketch drawn by Celeste. He immediately recognizes her raw artistic talent and begs her to become his secret protégé.