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The Devil Broker Seeking Gold God and Glory in Fourteenth Century Italy Frances Stonor Saunders Books

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The Devil Broker Seeking Gold God and Glory in Fourteenth Century Italy Frances Stonor Saunders Books

This is a good book. But I read it along with The Bad Popes (Sutton History Classics) and at times I thought I was rereading the same passages.

For example.

"The cardinals realized that they had to elect an Italian, but the four candidates present were disqualified by circumstances: the cardinals of Milan and Florence came from cities recently at open war with the papacy; the cardinal of Saint Peter's was too old; and Cardinal Orsini was considered too young and ambitious." p 270

"They had come at length to a realization that an Italian would have to be presented as pope--but each of the four Italians present was disqualified by circumstances: The cardinals of Milan and Florence came from cities recently at open war with the Papacy; the cardinal of St. Peter's was too old; Cardinal Orsini was too young and ambitious." p138

and

"But according to his secretary Dietrich von Niem, the absolute power so suddenly thrust upon him turned his brain, transforming him from a short-tempered bureaucrat into a raging tyrant." p272

"According to his secretary, Dietrich von Niem, the absolute power so suddenly thrust upon the man actually turned his brain, transforming him from a short-tempered bureaucrat into a raging tyrant." p140

I am neither a writer nor a historian so I do not know what to make of these similarities in reporting. I welcome your comments.


Tags : Amazon.com: The Devil's Broker: Seeking Gold, God, and Glory in Fourteenth- Century Italy (9780060777302): Frances Stonor Saunders: Books,Frances Stonor Saunders,The Devil's Broker: Seeking Gold, God, and Glory in Fourteenth- Century Italy,Harper Perennial,0060777303,Hundred Years' War, 1339-1453;Biography.,Mercenary troops;Italy;History;To 1500.,Soldiers of fortune;Great Britain;Biography.,Biography,Europe - Italy,GENERAL,General Adult,Great Britain,HISTORY Europe Italy,History,History - General History,HistoryWorld,History: World,Hundred Years' War, 1339-1453,ITALY - HISTORY,Italy,Mercenary troops,Non-Fiction,Soldiers of fortune,To 1500,United States

The Devil Broker Seeking Gold God and Glory in Fourteenth Century Italy Frances Stonor Saunders Books Reviews

What on earth was an Englishman doing in Italy in the mid 1300s? In the 20 years after the Black Death hit Europe, the soldiers that had fought in the 100 Years War in France did not return home, but drifted through Europe, pillaging as they went. At that time, Italy was the place to be (Florence took in more money each year than the Pope did). This is the story of John Hawkwood, one of the most successful of these mercenaries. His portrait is in Florence's cathedral, but I never knew his story, even though I studied in Florence in college. At a time when the Pope in Avignon could not figure out how to get back to Rome without a safe buffer zone in central Italy, this story tells of the ongoing battles among the wealthy Italian city states who did not want to be subjagated by the Pope, thank you, the machinations of the French and English kings (and the marriages of their relatives), and the travails they all endured. And it was grim! Along the way we learn about what life was like in the city states (Milan, Siena, Naples, Bologna, Perugia and several others), how cardinals and saints acted (and some of their more unattractive habits), and what happened in central Italy--money, sex, and war. This is a very readable, well researched history. This would be a great read for any one going to visit the hill towns in Italy (or like my nephew, thinking of studying there). I highly recommend this!
Ostensibly this is a book about John Hawkwood the British mercenary who spent virtually his entire freebooting career on the Italian Peninsula during the 14th century. The problem is that Hawkwood was a soldier not a writer and we have very little sense of him as a person, a leader or family man. The solution is to use his activities as the backbone for describing the chaotic violent character of 14th Century Italy.

For those who know the Catholic church as Pope John Paul II, a religious and moral force in the world, the papacy of these time will come a big shock. They hired mercenaries to secure hegemony over large swaths of Italy. These mercenaries were frequently very violent. The papacy was frequently selling indulgences (a remission of punishment due to sinning) at high prices, their rule was repressive and brutal in many places leading to a massive uprising in many of the City States they controlled, most famously Perugia. The papacy during these years operated more like the Soviet Union and in the case of the schism, the split between the French and Italian church led to the establishment of the papacy in Avignon, it was like when China split off from the Soviet Unions orbit in the nineteen sixties.

Biggest takeway power is mostly wielded in an ugly manner throughout human history and nowhere is that more clear than in 14th century Italy. Power continues to be wielded in a brutal manner throughout our own world and even in the U.S.A, what we like to believe is a shining city on a hill. However this "city" has the largest military in the world with a thousand secret bases and has supported regressive regime after regressive regime through our history. However, that was a time when power was expected to be wielded in a brutal fashion with little messianic window-dressing. Now thanks to Orwellian double-speak, corporations, governments and the media have become expert in making the brutal, the dishonest, the hurtful seem tolerable thanks to words like "right-sizing" and SEC settlements that don't require corporations to admit any wrongdoing. This change may have saved more lives but its unlikely to develop, groom or mentor real authenticity in our leaders.
Although this book can in no way compare in accuracy and sheer scope of information to William Caferro's superior John Hawkwood An English Mercenary in Fourteenth-Century Italy, it is still worthwhile as long as the reader doesn't take everything Saunders says as fact. I agree with the one-star review titled "Serious Students of History Beware!", and believe that a serious student should read more than one biography of Hawkwood to be sure information is accurate, yet give four stars myself because I did glean valuable information as I continue to research my novel. I'm mainly writing this review because I want to bring to the attention of any potential buyers that this is a paperback edition of Saunders' hardcover book titled Hawkwood Diabolical Englishman. Why the publishers confusingly decided to change the title is unknown, but if you already have Diabolical Englishman, don't duplicate your purchase with this book.
This is a good book. But I read it along with The Bad Popes (Sutton History Classics) and at times I thought I was rereading the same passages.

For example.

"The cardinals realized that they had to elect an Italian, but the four candidates present were disqualified by circumstances the cardinals of Milan and Florence came from cities recently at open war with the papacy; the cardinal of Saint Peter's was too old; and Cardinal Orsini was considered too young and ambitious." p 270

"They had come at length to a realization that an Italian would have to be presented as pope--but each of the four Italians present was disqualified by circumstances The cardinals of Milan and Florence came from cities recently at open war with the Papacy; the cardinal of St. Peter's was too old; Cardinal Orsini was too young and ambitious." p138

and

"But according to his secretary Dietrich von Niem, the absolute power so suddenly thrust upon him turned his brain, transforming him from a short-tempered bureaucrat into a raging tyrant." p272

"According to his secretary, Dietrich von Niem, the absolute power so suddenly thrust upon the man actually turned his brain, transforming him from a short-tempered bureaucrat into a raging tyrant." p140

I am neither a writer nor a historian so I do not know what to make of these similarities in reporting. I welcome your comments.