Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

From 1492 to 1508, in Florence and Rome, political turmoil and religious strife were rampant. Yet, as Columbus was making his discovery of the New World, it became the setting for a burst of magnificent art, and for competition and confrontation among three geniuses.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

Companion to a four-part miniseries airing this month on TBS, this volume presents a survey of Italian Renaissance history illustrated with 170 color and 40 black-and-white reproductions ranging from Michelangelo's ``David'' and Sistine ceiling to da Vinci's ``Annunciation'' and Raphael's ``School of Athens'' and ``Madonna of the Goldfinch.'' Filmmaker and journalist Labella develops a slightly romanticized story line focusing mainly in Florence, though he also considers Rome, Perugia, France, and other significant locales. Highlighting the years 1492-1508, he provides much detail on the people who ruled the nation and church as well as the geniuses who created the art. The book is a popular account, not art criticism; there are no footnotes or bibliography. However, the overall production is high in quality, the text notable for memorable and varied excerpts from writings by Americus Vespucius, Shelley, Leonardo, and others. The miniseries may prompt library patrons to request this book; they will find it entertaining and informative. Recommended for public collections.-- Ellen Bates, New York (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

A tie-in volume to an upcoming four-part docudrama on the Turner cable network, this book examines the lives and works of the three preeminent personalities of Italian Renaissance art. Labella traces the careers of the three artists in Florence and Rome over a period of some 15 years, filling in the historical background of the period and examining the religious, political, and artistic personalities who lived within the shadows of these giants. Although not especially notable for the breadth or detail of its aesthetic analysis, the book will be a suitable item for interested television viewers and a browsing delight for its series of color reproductions. No index. ~--John Brosnahan