The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance

The Medici family is one of my favorite historical families ever, and this book is a great look at their rise to power, and their fall from grace. What makes this different from other books, however, is that Strathern pays close attention to how Medici patronage of artists and thinkers like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Galileo, whether directly or indirectly, helped to create what we now call the Italian Renaissance. It's a bit dry in places, and there's not as much focus on the Medici women as I'd like, but it's a pretty interesting read all the same.