Book Description
'You should know that men like Benvenuto, unique in their profession, need not be subject to the law.' Thus spoke Pope Paul III on learning that Cellini had murdered a fellow artist, so great was his reputation in Renaissance Florence. A renowned sculptor and goldsmith, whose works include the famous salt-cellar made for the King of France, and the statue of Perseus with the head of the Medusa, Cellini's life was as vivid and enthralling as his creations. A man of action as well as an artist, he took part in the Sack of Rome in 1527; he was temperamental, passionate, and conceited, capable of committing criminal acts ranging from brawling and sodomy to theft and murder. He numbered among his patrons popes and kings and members of the Medici family, and his autobiography is a fascinating account of sixteenth-century Italy and France written with all the verve of a novel. This new translation, which captures the freshness and vivacity of the original, is based on the latest critical edition. It examines in detail the central event in Cellini's narrative, the casting of the statue of Perseus.
Customer Reviews:
A page turning pleasure........2005-10-01
I was in Florence recently, when my eyes came across this book. I'am no expert in art, history or biography, but this was a great read. I chuckled often as Cellini vividly portrayed the many adventures of his life. The one amazing thing about this book is, how real Cellini becomes. You feel his many pains and triumphs. Cellini is very normal and flawed, which make him more endearing. I love the guy and wish he were alive today, cause he's the type of guy you'd enjoy a beer with. Buy this book. For everyone.
Ian Myles Slater on: A Benvenuto (Welcome) New Version.......2004-08-01
This much-translated book is the story, in his own words, of a real person whose life seems more like fiction. For clarity, I am going to offer readers unfamiliar with the work some facts, before briefly describing the excellent Oxford World's Classics version (the sixth in English), translated and annotated by the team of Julia Conaway Bondanella and Peter Bondanella. I hope that this will help others find their way through a confusing bibliography. (Those familiar with Cellini should skip to the end.)
Benvenuto Cellini, Florentine goldsmith, sculptor, and enthusiastic self-promoter, can safely be described as a man of the sixteenth century, since he was, conveniently, born, in November 1500, and died in February 1571. Other statements about him, however truthful, often sound like fiction. The autobiography he wrote and (he says mainly) dictated between 1558 and 1566 breaks off in November 1562. It covers several tumultuous decades in later Renaissance and early Counter-Reformation Italy, with excursions into the Swiss Alps and France. Alongside Cellini's frequent descriptions of his own prowess as an artist, a duelist and brawler, and a lover, it is notable for Cellini's almost equally frequent confrontations with celebrated figures; it sometimes seems the most appropriate title would be "And Then I *Told-Off* the Pope, the Emperor, the King and Queen, the Duke and Duchess, and the Judge." Amazingly, a lot of it can be confirmed from contemporary documents; Cellini's penchant for getting into trouble, and the fact that he worked in precious metals, both helped leave paper trails.
Cellini's treatises on goldsmithing and sculpture were published in his lifetime and include autobiographical passages; his account of his life had a limited circulation in manuscript, including one corrected by his own hand, until it was published, from an inferior copy, in 1728. A series of Italian critical and popular editions have followed, up to the present. He has yet to achieve the status of Michelangelo and Raphael, which he coveted, but he is being read. His great bronze statue of Perseus, the casting of which he told and retold, was recently restored. Unfortunately, this was soon overshadowed by the theft of his last surviving goldwork, the "salt-cellar" he created for Francis I of France (not the original patron for which it was designed, as usual).
[Stolen in 2003, the ten-inch high object was finally recovered in January 2006; at which time its worth was estimated at 60 million dollars. Or -- in the same BBC story -- as either 33.9 or 36 million pounds; I'm sure Cellini would have insisted on the higher figure. He certainly would have been delighted by the constant repetition that it is "the Mona Lisa" of sculpture," until he decided that the reference should be the other way around.]
The first English translation, by Thomas Nugent, appeared in 1771. A German rendering (serialized beginning in 1796, according to the Bondanellas), published in book form in 1798, ensured the work immediate European attention; the translator was Goethe, THE international best-selling celebrity author of the age. A second English version, by Thomas Rosco, appeared in 1822 ("Memoirs"). By this time a specifically Romantic vision of Cellini was developing, immortalized in Hector Berlioz's splendid opera of 1838, "Benvenuto Cellini." (Was Berlioz's own highly entertaining autobiography influenced by Cellini's example? Or Goethe's?)
The classic rendering in English, by John Addington Symonds, "The Life of Benvenuto Cellini, Written by Himself," was published in 1888. The Bondanellas attribute Cellini's present fame in the English-speaking world to this translation. It has certainly appeared in a variety of forms, including abridgments, and under various titles, and is sometimes listed by editor. It is still in print; there is a Gutenberg e-text available on-line, which is easily searchable, but you need to know Symonds' renderings of Cellini's sixteenth-century spellings of names. (There was even an edition of the Symonds translation illustrated by -- Salvador Dali!)
Unfortunately, the popularity of Symonds' translation overshadowed a richly documented fourth translation, with extensive commentary, by Robert H. Hobart Cust, published in 1910 (as "The Life of ... "); I remember consulting its notes in a library reserve copy, but have no impression of its quality as a translation. (I also have no idea why Dover never picked it up for reprinting, when they offered a translation of the Treatises.) According to the Bondanellas, Cust's version is still, for most purposes, *the* scholarly edition, in any language (Italian included), although more often used than cited.
Since 1956, editions of Symonds have had to compete with George Bull's translation, for the Penguin Classics, as "The Autobiography," which also was the basis of a Folio Society illustrated edition of 1970. Bull's version seems to be regarded as more accurate than Symonds'. Some (myself included) prefer Symonds' prose style; I have adapted much of this review from my notes comparing these two versions. (In revising, I have drawn heavily on the Bondanella's documentation, using their spellings and dates for other translators and editions.) Unhappily, like most Penguin editions of its vintage, it lacked notes or an index; a limited bibliography was supplied in some later printings. It was not until 1999 that the Penguin Classics edition was reissued in a revised version, with extensive notes and a detailed index. There are slight changes in pagination between the two editions of the Penguin translation, but it is my impression that Bull's translation was supplemented, rather than extensively revised. The Penguin edition may or may not be in print as you read this; anyone ordering a used copy should be aware of the difference. (The last page of the original version is 397, of the revised is 496.) For the notes and index, I prefer the 1999 edition to any form of the Symonds translation currently available. And now there is a third choice.
The Bondanella translation is based on the latest critical editions of the Italian text, and, quite explicitly, on Cust's documentation and explication. I am delighted with the result. The translation is more to my taste than that of Bull, or even Symonds. The Introduction and Chronology are clear, and the Select Bibliography is an invitation to further reading. The index is extremely useful. The annotations are tightly integrated with the text, and concisely explain allusions, identify people, supply facts, and answer many questions. (There are, inevitably, a very few points I would question: shouldn't the note on "unicorn's horn" on page 408 have mentioned that it may have been a narwhal tusk?) They even briefly discuss some problems with Cellini's breezy Italian (composed at the same time other Florentines were writing the first "official" grammars of the language), pointing out alternative understandings. A first-rate addition to the World's Classics list.
Book Description
"Among the vast number of men who have thought fit to write down the history of their own lives, three or four have achieved masterpieces which stand out preeminent: Saint Augustine hi his "Confessions," Samuel Pepys in his "Diary" Rousseau in his "Confessions." It is among these extraordinary documents, and unsurpassed by any of them, that the autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini takes its place..."
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The gentlewoman, also slightly blushing, said: You know well that I want you to serve me; and reaching me the lily, told me to take it away; and gave me besides twenty golden crowns which she had in her bag, and added: Set me the jewel after the fashion you have sketched, and keep for me the old gold in which it is now set. On this the Roman lady observed: If I were in that young mans body, I should go off without asking leave. Madonna Porzia replied that virtues rarely are at home with vices, and that if I did such a thing, I should strongly belie my good looks of an honest man.
Customer Reviews:
One of the all-time greats.......2007-07-04
Benvenuto Cellini was a leading figure of the Italian Renaissance. He was close to the Florentine court and participated in royal intrigues. He was a major artist in a period of major artists, creating numerous works of beauty that can still be seen today. (His most famous work is the statue of Perseus holding the head of the Medusa, which stands in the piazza outside the Palazzo Vecchio. His description of the making of this work is one of the highlights of the book.) He had numerous love affairs with titled women and numerous feuds with powerful men. He was also a murderer and an unconscious sadist. And he wrote it all in what is one of the great autobiographies of all time. Parts of the book are chilling, such as when he regrets having beaten his beautiful model, not out of guilt or remorse, but because the beating had left her so swollen and bruised that she was no good to him as a model now. Other parts are disgusting, such as when he describes a parasite he vomited. At other times one wonders if he really thought he could get away with such tall tales as swearing that while under the protection of a necromancer he saw the Colosseum full of dancing devils. Cellini was a complex man and a great artist and a great writer. His autobiography is essential reading if one wishes to understand the Renaissance. I consider Cellini's autobiography to be almost as essential as Homer and Shakespeare. Five stars, of course.
this auto bio is astounding. jaw dropping. .......2006-09-16
If youre a fan of picaresque autobiography, this book is the best. Crimes and misadventures galore. Benvenuto uses his talent to win the patronage of the pope and king of france and then runs the favoritism into the dirt through paranoia, murderous rage, and a viscious slandering tongue. artists, and writers will find much to love in this book.
this is not a history book. but a book from history. a real historian would know the differance and would appreciate it appropriately.
fantastic.......2005-12-14
This autobiography resembles a popular life in the American wild west (not what one would expect of an iconic Renaissance sculptor/goldsmith), or so it seemed to me when I read this translation in the early 70's.
It's a rare, remarkable work that remains memorable over the years. The saga of a vibrant genius (and the pleasure of reading this work) still remains.
Golden Boy.......2005-08-22
Benvenuto. It means Good Arrival. All the same this is not the book that most of our readers might have hoped for or welcomed. Compared with popular biographers, such as Doris Kearns Goodwin, Gore Vidal or David McCollough, Cellini does little to help the reader understand context... the stage on which his character struts his stuff. For example, in No Ordinary Time, Ms. Kearns effectively informs the reader about pre-war America, her people, their prejudices, fears, and aspirations. By providing and illuminating the context, she establishes her two characters' place in history in a way that no one had ever quite done before. By way of contrast, Cellini's potentially extraordinary story reads more like a series of answers to the ongoing question: How did your day go today, dear?
Long books seem to be governed by a law of composition which says that the more detail is piled up, the less we understand. Mr. Cellini cannot always see the wood for the trees, nor can his readers. Thus whoever wants to know the attendees, including their middle names and town of origin, at a meal in Rome on December 12, 1567, can find it on page 439. But nothing is made clear about how he learned his craft, how or why he selects certain subjects or materials. Only the previously informed will have the slightest idea of his place in the arts and history. By not fulfilling his duty as a biographer, we are left with an incoherent interpretation of the man. In the end, Cellini the writer fails to do justice to Cellini the artist.
Wild times in a wild time.......2004-06-24
Benvenuto Cellini was a great sculptor of the 16th century. He was not, by trade, a writer, and his rough prose and sprawling narrative testify to that.
But what he lacks in writing skill, he more than makes up for in personality, so much so that his brilliant life and gusto for living bursts through the awkward form.
Cellini, it is clear, loves life -- he leaves nothing out when telling it, and so he represents very well what it must have been like to be one of the great artists of the Italian Renaissance in the patronage of the papacy, the great Medici family, and Francis I (who supported Da Vinci in his last years).
We meet Lorenzo de Medici, Cosimo, Francis I, Cosimo's wife who needs Cellini to help her get a pearl necklace, competitors, thieves, Popes, and beautiful women, whom Cellini kept for modeling and for "company."
And we get to hear Cellini discussing the design and creation of classic works that still exist today, like the salt cellar, the Nymph of Fountainbleau, and his masterpiece, the statue Perseus, which he describes as so astonishing to the people of the day that they composed sonnets about it and posted them up all over Florence.
Cellini recounts his many affairs, duels, scrapes, imprisonments, and commissions, one adventure after another, so that his whole life sweeps by in a grand and vibrant portrait. He always seems to come out on top too, which makes you wonder if he's telling the whole truth, but nonetheless Cellini's autobiography is a thrilling read and filled with life in a time when all the world was stirring with art and passion.
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Part of the Classics Appreciation Society Condensations and Home Course series. Very nicely put together and illustrated.
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Cellini
John Pope-Hennessy
Manufacturer: Abbeville Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Cellini, Benvenuto
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ASIN: 089659453X |
Product Description
From the Publisher Benvenuto Cellini was a celebrated goldsmith and distinguished sculptor, yet it is on his autobiography that much of his fame rests. Begun in Florence when he was fifty-eight, it was primarily intended to be the story of his life and art, his tragedies and triumphs. However, as he was an active participant in the wars and struggles of the period, and drew his friends and enemies from all levels of society, it became a vivid and convincing portrait of the manners and morals both of the rulers of the sixteenth century and of their subjects. With enviable powers of invective and an irrepressible sense of humour, reflected in an equally vigorous and extravagant style, Cellini has provided an intriguing and unrivalled glimpse into the palaces and prisons of the Italy of Michelangelo and the Medici. For this edition, George Bull has revised and expanded his Introduction, added comprehensive notes and updated the Bibliography.
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- Pretty good account of Napoleon's last years
- A decent read on Napoleon's final banishment
- Fascinating research, wanting for a story
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Napoleon Bonaparte: England's Prisoner: The Emperor in Exile 1816-21
Frank Giles
Manufacturer: Carroll & Graf
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0786709065 |
Book Description
Napoleon Bonaparte never set foot on English soil, although he was held aboard a warship off the coast of Devon after his surrender to the Royal Navy in 1815. Nor did he ever admit to being a prisoner. With its focus on the last six years of Napoleon’s life—from his arrival at Devon, where he became the object of massive English public interest, through his exile on St. Helena, where he died in 1821—this close study of Napoleon in captivity attempts to reconstruct an authentic portrait of the fallen emperor by examining contemporary documents and public records of opinion. As this judicious volume by journalist and historian Frank Giles shows, Napoleon worked hard at St. Helena to obfuscate the history of his tyranny in France with a legend that would elevate him as the architect of a federation of free European peoples—had it not been for the fears of reactionary monarchs and the envy of England. Many English citizens, most of them discontent Whigs, stood among Napoleon’s collaborators in this legend, just as many of them joined in the condemnation of the British governor at St. Helena, Sir Hudson Lowe, as a petty, tyrannical bureaucrat and booby. Turning a scrupulous eye to the Hudson Lowe papers, Giles attempts to redeem Napoleon’s jailer and guardian, reviled as he has been by critics on both sides of the Channel, from the judgment of history. What emerges is a more balanced view of both Lowe and Napoleon, condemned to each other on an island in the Atlantic for six years.
Customer Reviews:
Pretty good account of Napoleon's last years.......2005-10-02
I thought this was a pretty good account of Napoleon's last years when he was exiled to St. Helena. The book centered around the relationship between St. Helena's governor, Sir Hudson Lowe and Napoleon as they battled over protcols as if they were battlefields. In this book the author tries to paint out the much maligned governor, Sir Hudson Lowe in a more positive light. He secceeded only slightly to that goal. Sir Hudson Lowe, despite of Mr. Giles' best efforts, still ends up being a man of low imagination, petty minded and anal retentive individual who probably wasn't fit to supervised one of history's greatest figures. Its was Napoleon's misfortune that he was on an island governed by a jailer instead of a gentleman with a duty to perform.
The book proves to be interesting because it reflects on the relationship between Napoleon and his greatest of all his enemies, Great Britain. Its almost amazing that someone with Napoleon's intelligence can be so naive as to think that his greatest enemy will go easy on him the second time around.
The book also steered away from the conspiracy theory of Napoleon's murder as advanced in many of other books. Stomach cancer remains the cause of death in this book.
I found this book to be well written and researched. Its not as detail as I hoped and its don't give us a good inside look of Napoleon's household during this period. There were a lot of interesting personalities at St. Helena while Napoleon was alive.
Overall, this book proves to bit on the introductory level reading on Napoleon's exile to St. Helena and his life there. Easy to read and informative to a point, it should fill the void in any Napoleonic library until a more detail book comes out.
A decent read on Napoleon's final banishment.......2002-01-07
This is quite a decent read on the treatment Napoleon received at the hands of his "...most consistent and generous foe, the British". A balanced account is what Mr Giles has stroved for and the coverage is generally admirable. Napoleon's jailer comes across as a more humane person than history has given him credit for.
I din't care much for the last part of the book which focussed on various poems written by great men of letters to explain the Napoleonic myth as I felt that such coverage was either too narrow or irrelevant to the overall British perception of Napoleon.
Fascinating research, wanting for a story.......2001-12-03
Mr. Giles gives us a great work, obviously carefully footnoted with very meticulous references, full of very interesting tidbits about British perceptions of Napoleon's stay on St. Helena. I left it, however, wishing for more than the historical details, wanting for more color about the participants, their own stories and experiences. The character of Sir Hudson Lowe does not come through clearly, despite the book's stated goal of demonstrating his relative innocence in the supposedly cruel treatment of Napoleon. There are many details, but Mr. Giles leaves it to us, based on the facts presented, to muster an image of the gaoler. Perhaps that is his intention---perhaps that is good historical documentation. That said, his description of the Lord and Lady Hollands feelings, again based on thorough first hand information, is excellent and insightful, perhaps especially due to their ample and descriptive writings. For Napoleon buffs, this one is--if not a nail-biter---a good essay on one aspect of his life.
Customer Reviews:
excellent account of alternative city politics.......2000-04-08
This book provides an astute account of alternative approaches to city politics other than the traditional, liberal approach. Moreover, his account of political equality is particularly good. Must have for American urban politics students!
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Guidelines For Management Planning Of Protected Areas (Best Practice Protected Area Guidelines)
Julie Middleton , and
Lee Thomas
Manufacturer: World Conservation Union
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ASIN: 2831706734 |
Book Description
A Management Plan is a document which sets out the management approach and goals, together with a framework for decision making, to apply in a specific protected area over a given period of time. Critical to the plan is the widest possible consultation with stakeholders and the development of objectives that can be agreed and adhered to by all who have an interest in the use and ongoing survival of the area concerned. These Guidelines, based on global best practice drawn from many areas around the world, represent a working framework for protected area planners to consider and adapt to their needs and circumstances.
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Guidelines for Marine Protected Areas (Travaux Et Recherches)
World Commission on Protected Areas
Manufacturer: Island Press
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ASIN: 2831705053 |
Book Description
The world urgently needs a comprehensive system of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to conserve biodiversity and to help rebuild the productivity of the oceans. The aim of these Guidelines is to help countries establish systems of MPAs as a key component of integrated management of coastal and marine areas and as part of their sustainable development. The various actions to make an effective MPA are set out, from early planning stages to implementation.
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Guidelines for Mountain Protected Areas (Iucn Protected Area Programme, No 2)
Manufacturer: World Conservation Union
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ASIN: 2831701112 |
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Sustainable Tourism in Protected Area: Guidelines for Planning and Management (Best Practice Protected Area Guidelines)
Paul F. J. Eagles , and
Stephen F. McCool
Manufacturer: World Conservation Union
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ASIN: 2831706483 |
Books:
- My Life With Martin Luther King, Jr.
- My Many Years
- My Wars Are Laid Away in Books: The Life of Emily Dickinson (Modern Library Paperbacks)
- Namath (Icons of the NFL)
- Napoleon Bonaparte: A Life
- Nigella Lawson: A Biography
- No Hurdle Too High: The Story of Show Jumper Margie Goldstein Engle
- On a Clear Day You Can See General Motors: John Z. DeLorean's Look Inside the Automotive Giant
- Pedro and Me
- Platoon Leader: A Memoir of Command in Combat
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