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 ...
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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.
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Add this copy of Prettiest Love Letters in the World: Letters Between to cart. $11.50, 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. $12.00, good condition, Sold by ZBK Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Woodland Park, NJ, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by David R. Godine, Publisher.
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Seller's Description:
Used book in good and clean conditions. Pages and cover are intact. Limited notes marks and highlighting may be present. May show signs of normal shelf wear and bends on edges. Item may be missing CDs or access codes. May include library marks. Fast Shipping.
Add this copy of Prettiest Love Letters in the World: the Letters to cart. $40.00, 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.
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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. $43.82, 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. $48.60, 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.
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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. $49.76, fair condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 1987 by David R. Godine Publisher.
Add this copy of Prettiest Love Letters in the World: the Letters to cart. $53.00, 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.
Add this copy of Prettiest Love Letters in the World: the Letters to cart. $114.76, new 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 Prettiest Love Letters in the World: the Letters to cart. $250.00, very good condition, Sold by Sequitur Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Boonsboro, MD, UNITED STATES, published 1987 by David R. Godine, Publisher.
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Seller's Description:
Very Good. Size: 7x0x10; Hardcover and dust jacket. Tears to jacket with loss. Dust jacket in protective mylar cover. Good binding and cover. Shelf wear. Owner's name on front end page, else unmarked. 46, 43 pages: illustrations; 26 cm. "Prettiest Love Letters in the World records a brief but intense love affair, between an ambitious poet of high Venetian background and a young political bride whose father, as Pope, wielded absolute power. Their letters are charged with excitement; every meeting had an element of danger, the thrill of a gamble."
