Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. Item #1561

8vo. 220 x 150 mm., [8 ¾ x 5 ¾ inches]. xviii + 302 pp., including Appendices: Notes; Bibliography; Index. Thirteen black and white illustrations within the text as well as b&w maps of Florence city center and Italy as a whole, and three genealogical charts of the Medici, Della Rovere, and Pazzi families. Publishers’ black paper over boards with gilt lettering on the spine; unclipped illustrated dust jacket. Book and Jacket are As New: a seemingly unread copy with little to no signs of substantial use or wear.

First Edition. Lauro Martines (1927-2026) was an American historian specializing in Renaissance Florence. He taught in the History Department at UCLA for twenty-six years and wrote nine non-fiction works. He was known for his extensive use of archival materials and for his broad knowledge of Italian literary and artistic culture. In April Blood he explores the failed assassination attempt on Lorenzo de Medici instigated by the Pazzi family and their web of supporters throughout Italy which included Pope Sixtus IV. It is a thrilling narrative history that reexamines the Medici’s legacy as supporters of cultural progress and shows their reliance on violence and terror to maintain their hold on power.

Price: $50.00