The Life and Works of Tolomeo Fiadoni Ptolemy of Lucca

This biography of the thirteenth-century writer Tolomeo Fiadoni, also known as Ptolemy of Lucca, places him squarely in the middle of the political and religious movements of his day. Blythe (history, University of Memphis) emphasizes the many aspects of Tolomeo's life, as companion and confessor to the philosopher, Thomas Aquinas, as a Dominican brother during the early days of the order, as a participant in papal politics and as an independent thinker who has been called the first of the "Renaissance" humanists. The first section relates the life of Tolomeo, emphasizing hitherto unexplored sources. The second discusses his major works, which cover topics from biblical commentary to theories of government. Blythe's ability to blend social, political and philosophical trends makes the biography particularly satisfying. The discussions of the contents and reception of the treatises serve as an excellent introduction to the works. This is the first of two volumes. The second will focus on the world view of Tolomeo. Together they will certainly ad much to our understanding of the crucial years from 1275-1325 in Europe. Distributed in North America by The David Brown Book Co, Annotation c2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)