The Book of the Courtier

by Baldesar Castiglione, Peter Hainsworth (Translator)

Overview

For centuries, Castiglione's perfect courtier provided a model for the educated classes of Europe. But although The Book of the Courtier has sometimes been read as a self-help guide for young men and women, it consists of vivid and colourful dialogues exploring key ethical issues. Should the courtier consciously use "image-management" or rely on his natural talents to attract attention? Should he obey the orders of an immoral prince or try and persuade him to behave better? Is courtliness just a passport to social success or an inspiring spiritual idea?

Sexual equality, wit and humour are among the many issues debated in this deliciously fresh picture of Renaissance court society in Italy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781647921156
Publisher:	Hackett Publishing Company, Inc.
Publication date:	05/01/2023
Pages:	368
Sales rank:	970,869
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Baldesar Castiglione was born in 1478, a member of an ancient Italian aristocratic family. He received a thorough humanistic education, acquiring a refined appreciation of art. He was essentially a courtier, and his literary activities were spare-time occupations. In 1504, after an unhappy period in Mantuan employ, he entered the service of Guidobaldo of Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino. The ensuing years were the most satisfying of his life. He enjoyed the confidence of the Duke, who frequently entrusted him with important missions, and in his leisure moments he participated in the literary and intellectual activities of the court, then one of the most brilliant in Italy.

After Guidobaldo's death in 1508, he remained in the service of the new Duke, Francesco Maria della Rovere, becoming, in 1513, resident ambassador in Rome. In 1515 the expulsion of Francesco Maria from Urbino deprived him of a job, and in the years 1516-19 he lived quietly on his estates near Mantua. His major work is The Book of the Courtier. He also wrote a small number of excellent poems both in Latin and Italian. In 1519 he returned to Rome, as Mantuan ambassador, and after further activities on behalf of his Mantuan masters entered Papal service in 1524. From that date until his death in 1592 he was Papal Nuncio in Spain.
George Bull is an author and journalist who has translated six volumes for the Penguin Classics: Benvenuto Cellini’s Autobiography, The Book of the Courtier by Castiglione, Vasari’s Lives of the Artists (two volumes), The Prince by Machiavelli and Pietro Aretino’s Selected Letters. He is also Consultant Editor to the Penguin Business Series. After reading history at Brasenose College, Oxford, George Bull worked for the Financial Times, McGraw-Hill World News, and for the Director magazine, of which he was Editor-in-Chief until 1984. His other books include Vatican Politics; Bid for Power (with Anthony Vice), a history of take-over bids; Renaissance Italy, a book for children; Venice: The Most Triumphant City; and Inside the Vatican.
George Bull is an author and journalist who has translated six volumes for the Penguin Classics: Benvenuto Cellini’s Autobiography, The Book of the Courtier by Castiglione, Vasari’s Lives of the Artists (two volumes), The Prince by Machiavelli and Pietro Aretino’s Selected Letters. He is also Consultant Editor to the Penguin Business Series. After reading history at Brasenose College, Oxford, George Bull worked for the Financial Times, McGraw-Hill World News, and for the Director magazine, of which he was Editor-in-Chief until 1984. His other books include Vatican Politics; Bid for Power (with Anthony Vice), a history of take-over bids; Renaissance Italy, a book for children; Venice: The Most Triumphant City; and Inside the Vatican.

Editorial Reviews

"Peter Hainsworth's fresh translation of The Book of the Courtier will gladden those who have known this quintessentially important work through the available translations that are, after several decades, somewhat dated. Hainsworth's version is more accessible to contemporary readers because, first, it is more easily read, and second, because it deftly places Castiglione's classic discussion of manners, gender roles, language, and love in historical context. Instructors especially will welcome the Introduction’s establishment of the biographical, political, and cultural framework of Castiglione's dialogue; the explanatory notes that amply supply the information students will need to appreciate the conversation; and the guidance provided by an analytically enriched table of contents that groups the chapters meaningfully while highlighting the Courtier's principal themes. For 150 years, the ideals expressed in Castiglione's Courtier guided the European elite. Hainsworth’s robust new English edition will help students understand how and why."
—Margaret L. King, Professor of History Emerita, Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center, CUNY

From the Publisher