The Bookseller of Florence, Ross King
This was on my Italy Book List before I my trip to Venice, Florence, Rome, and the Amalfi Coast. Ok, I am not going to lie….this is a history book. Not a text book, but it is very factual and it’s a lot to absorb if you are not a person who gobbles up history books. History would be very different if it weren’t for the passion of Vespasiano and I feel very sad that our society does not have appreciation for art and knowledge as the Italians did. I was so impressed and grateful for the love he had for manuscripts and the respect he had for knowledge and preserving them for everyone in the future—it had nothing to do with personal gain. When I went to Florence, I fell in love. You feel this passion there, it’s in everything there.