ANNOTATION

Covers the discovery of world and man; society and festivals; and morality and religion.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Published in 1860, Burckhardt's work redefined our sense of the European past, wholly reinterpreting what has since been known simply as the Italian Renaissance. With unsurpassed erudition, Burckhardt illuminates a world of artistic and cultural ferment, innovation, and discovery; of revived humanism; of fierce tensions between church and empire; and of the birth of both the modern state and the modern individual. The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy remains the single most important and influential account of this crucial moment in the history of the West.

SYNOPSIS

Jacob Burckhardt was born in 1818 in Basel, Switzerland. He studied history at the University of Berlin and taught art history and the Italian Renaissance in Berlin and Basel. His essay, as he called The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy, was first published in 1860.

FROM THE CRITICS

AudioFile

This third novel of the Skolian Empire is a classic tale of power and conflict, with a twist. The leaders of Coba, a kingdom essentially untouched by the influence of the empire, are all women, and men are firmly treated as biologically inferior and subservient. When Kelric, an heir of the imperial family of the empire crashes on Coba, events begin that threaten its political stability and safety. Anna Fields narrates with her usual control, while maintaining the subtlety of the characters and plot. Each of the powerful matriarchs who becomes intrigued by Kelric is powerful but distinct in personality and manner. Fields draws each member of the large cast of supporting characters clearly. She sets a strong pace that supports the intensity of the plot and never lags. J.E.M. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

Another yarn set in Asaro's far-future Skolian Empire (Catch the Lightning, 1996, etc.). This time, Jagernaut Kelric Valdoria, the Emperor Kurj's half-brother, is attacked and disabled by Traders; he crash-lands on Coba, a planet run by women and protected by treaty from imperial incursions. For various reasons (not least because she falls in love with him), Coban Manager Jeha Dahl is reluctant to turn Kelric over to the Skolians. So 20 years pass while Kelric raises a family and, ultimately, precipitates a civil war before he can return to the imperium, leaving behind a daughter who may one day challenge the ruthless Kurj or his successor.

Independently intelligible but likely to appeal most to existing fans.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

The Last Hawk is a true gem, with believable hard science, human drama, and people and events that will draw in any perceptive reader. Impossible to put down, The Last Hawk embodies excellence in prose and science fiction, an excellence all too rare in any era. — L. E. Modesitt,Jr