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The Count Of Virtue: Giangaleazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan
MP3 CD Format Fourteenth century Italy was mercenaries swarmed across the land as competing city states attempted to vie with each other for power, while pestilence and famine decimated populations.
Into this cauldron was born Giangalezzo Visconti, a man who perfectly exemplified all the contradictions of his age. Viscous, covetous, and with loose morals, he has been portrayed as one of the most criminal men in history, yet he was also a man of remarkable gifts as a brilliant administrator, a shrewd ruler who was able to command the loyalty of his men, and a patron of beautiful art and architecture at the dawn of the Renaissance.
Visconti as a young boy had been taught by Petrarch, yet he was just as influenced by his family of deft schemers and killers as he carved his pathway to power. Playing the parochial jealousies of the city-states against one another he was able to weaken his rivals and strike them in quick succession.
E. R. Chamberlin's The Count of Virtue is a remarkable study of the life and times of Giangaleazzo Visconti that provides fascinating insight into the political, social and cultural world of fourteenth century Italy.
Into this cauldron was born Giangalezzo Visconti, a man who perfectly exemplified all the contradictions of his age. Viscous, covetous, and with loose morals, he has been portrayed as one of the most criminal men in history, yet he was also a man of remarkable gifts as a brilliant administrator, a shrewd ruler who was able to command the loyalty of his men, and a patron of beautiful art and architecture at the dawn of the Renaissance.
Visconti as a young boy had been taught by Petrarch, yet he was just as influenced by his family of deft schemers and killers as he carved his pathway to power. Playing the parochial jealousies of the city-states against one another he was able to weaken his rivals and strike them in quick succession.
E. R. Chamberlin's The Count of Virtue is a remarkable study of the life and times of Giangaleazzo Visconti that provides fascinating insight into the political, social and cultural world of fourteenth century Italy.
- GenresNonfiction
1 pages, Audio CD
First published January 1, 1965
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54 people want to read
About the author
E.R. Chamberlin
41 books27 followersEric Russell Chamberlin (1926-2006)
Historian and author. Chamberlin was the author of numerous popular history books ranging from ancient Rome to twentieth-century Britain. Although he was born in Jamaica, he returned to England with his father during the Great Depression. Chamberlin dropped out of school when he was fourteen and became an apprentice leather dresser.
When he was old enough, he eagerly left this work behind to enlist in the Royal Navy in 1944. He served in the military until 1947 and then found work at the Norwich Public Library. It was here that his real education began, and Chamberlin took advantage of his vocation by reading history texts avidly. He later also worked at the Holborn Public Library and then for the book division at Readers’ Digest.
His first book, The Count of Virtue: Giangaleazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan, was released in 1965. This would be followed by thirty more books over the next three decades. Among these are The Bad Popes (1969), The Sack of Rome (1979), The Nineteenth Century (1983), The Emperor, Charlemagne (1986), and The Tower of London: An Illustrated History (1989). Also active in historical preservation projects, Chamberlin helped rescue the Guildford Institute building from destruction in 1982 and had a monument to Admiral Horatio Nelson constructed on Mt. Etna in Italy.
For the former endeavor, Chamberlin was recognized with an honorary degree from the University of Surrey in 1982.
Historian and author. Chamberlin was the author of numerous popular history books ranging from ancient Rome to twentieth-century Britain. Although he was born in Jamaica, he returned to England with his father during the Great Depression. Chamberlin dropped out of school when he was fourteen and became an apprentice leather dresser.
When he was old enough, he eagerly left this work behind to enlist in the Royal Navy in 1944. He served in the military until 1947 and then found work at the Norwich Public Library. It was here that his real education began, and Chamberlin took advantage of his vocation by reading history texts avidly. He later also worked at the Holborn Public Library and then for the book division at Readers’ Digest.
His first book, The Count of Virtue: Giangaleazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan, was released in 1965. This would be followed by thirty more books over the next three decades. Among these are The Bad Popes (1969), The Sack of Rome (1979), The Nineteenth Century (1983), The Emperor, Charlemagne (1986), and The Tower of London: An Illustrated History (1989). Also active in historical preservation projects, Chamberlin helped rescue the Guildford Institute building from destruction in 1982 and had a monument to Admiral Horatio Nelson constructed on Mt. Etna in Italy.
For the former endeavor, Chamberlin was recognized with an honorary degree from the University of Surrey in 1982.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 22, 2024
E.R. Chamberlin's Stylistic Scholarly Biography Studies The Life & Times Of Giangaleazzo Visconti, 'The Count Of Virtue'.
Eric Russell Chamberlin was a British historian who lived from 1926 - 2006, & was the author of numerous historical studies & biographies, among them 1969's 'The Bad Popes', 1974's 'The Fall Of The House Of Borgia' & 'Florence In The Time Of The Medici', & 1989's 'The Tower Of London : An Illustrated History'. He achieved the height of his popularity during the 1960's & 1970's, & his writing style features a unique & distinctly bygone yet not-unpleasant combination of meticulous scholarship seasoned with his own appraisals & interpretations. He also occasionally assumes his reader's familiarity with certain historical events & facts which fall outside the scope of the main text, such as when he refers to the English mercenary commander Sir John Hawkwood as the brother-in-law of Giangaleazzo Visconti, the subject of this study, when Hawkwood was actually married to Donnina Visconti, the natural daughter of Bernabò Visconti, Giangaleazzo's uncle, while his sister was Violante Visconti, who was married first to Lionel, Duke of Clarence, & then to Secondotto, Marquess of Montferrat, making them in-laws of a sort, though not in the traditional sense. These instances do not occur often, however, & overall Chamberlin's writing style is demonstrative of his considerable knowledge of the subject matter & his ability to compose a rich, engrossing historical narrative.
According to his dedicatory entry on encyclopedia.com, Chamberlin was born in Kingston, Jamaica, but left at an early age to return to England with his father during the Great Depression. He dropped out of school when he was 14 years old & began an apprenticeship as a leather dresser, a profession he soon abandoned after enlisting in England's Royal Navy for a tour of duty which lasted from 1944 - 1947. Upon returning home he found work at the Norwich Public Library, where as a librarian the young navy veteran devoted himself avidly & wholeheartedly to the study of old historical texts & manuscripts, & he later worked at the Holburn Public Library & eventually became employed in the Reader's Digest Book Division. This current title, 'The Count Of Virtue : Giangaleazzo Visconti, Duke Of Milan', was his first written work & was published in the United States in 1965 by Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. E.R. Chamberlin would go on to publish over 30 books throughout the course of his prolific career, & was an active historical preservationist whom received an honorary degree from the University of Surrey in Guildford, Surrey, England, for his hard work helping to salvage the Guildford Institute building from destruction in 1982.
Giangaleazzo Visconti was born on 16 October 1351 to Galeazzo II Visconti & Bianca of Savoy with the name Giovanni Galeazzo, but his name was shortened to Gian Galeazzo, & was eventually combined into Giangaleazzo. One of the biography's prevailing themes early on is Chamberlin's exploration on the vastly dissimilar, dichotomous personalities & dynastic strategies of Giangaleazzo's father & uncle, Galeazzo II & Bernabò Visconti. Bernabò & his wife, Beatrice della Scala, would have 15 legitimate children, but Bernabò would sire numerous natural children outside of wedlock with various mistresses, bringing the total to an estimated 30. Giangaleazzo's childhood was spent at court in Pavia, in the company of scholars & learned men such as Francesco Petrarca, & Chamberlin's description of one of their early meetings which was later memorialized in one of Pavia's frescoes by his delighted father Galeazzo, is timeless : 'As Paolo Giovio told the story the five-year-old child, asked by his father to point out the wisest man in a room full of distinguished people, unhesitatingly crossed the floor & touched Petrarch's robe.'
Among the biography's early highlights are Chamberlin's vivid descriptions of the opulent court life in Milan & Pavia, including fascinating summaries of the various marriages & social events that occurred both during Giangaleazzo's early reign as well as that of his father, Galeazzo II Visconti. The author's eloquent summary of Bernardino Corio's prose as it appears in his 'Storia di Milano' when describing the decadent feasting & festivities during the wedding of Giangaleazzo's sister, Violante, & Lionel, Duke of Clarence, provide an excellent glimpse into what must have been an undoubtably extravagant affair : 'There were eighteen courses to the meal but each was double, one of fish & one of meat, the woods & streams & pastures of western Lombardy scoured to provide the choicest meat : veal, trout, quail, partridge, duck, heron, chicken, rabbit, eels, sturgeon, Corio's list was an inventory of the fauna of Lombardy.' In addition to Corio's 'Storia di Milano', Chamberlin also utilizes the writings of the Florentine historian Leonardo Bruni, in his 'Istoria Fiorentina', & the diarist & silk merchant Goro Dati's 'Istoria di Firenze', in addition to more recent works such as John Temple-Leader & Giuseppe Marcotti's 1889 biography, 'Sir John Hawkwood'.
The heirs of Giangaleazzo Visconti were ultimately unable to sustain the Milanese sovereign state's high rate of growth which it enjoyed under their sire's leadership, & the dukedom eventually passed into the hands of the famous condottiere, Francesco I Sforza, upon his marriage to Bianca Maria Visconti, the natural daughter of Giangaleazzo's youngest legitimate son, Fillipo Maria Visconti. The author's eloquent appraisal on the political state of affairs towards the end of Giangaleazzo's reign is excellent : 'In spite of the fact that he had surrounded himself with most able lieutenants, in spite of his consistent policy of delegation, the State was formed by his own will, held together by the force of his personality.' Chamberlin also explains one of two different theories concerning Giangaleazzo's decision to give his male & female descendants the matronymic 'Maria', a tradition which was upheld by the Sforza when they assumed control of Milan in 1450. The other theory is briefly discussed in D.M. Bueno de Mesquita's 1941 study, 'Giangaleazzo Visconti, Duke Of Milan (1351-1402): A Study In the Political Career Of An Italian Despot', but both of them are fascinating & worthwhile additions to their respective studies.
Overall, E.R. Chamberlin's 'The Count Of Virtue' is an outstanding work of modern scholarship by an unbelievably talented writer that should find appeal with any reader who is searching for a solidly-written, capably-researched biography on Giangaleazzo Visconti, & would serve as a wonderful companion piece to Mesquita's more erudite, academic study. This edition is the original 1965 hardcover issue but there is a more recent printing available by Sapere Books as part of a 6-book set of Chamberlin's various studies on Italian history alongside 'The Fall Of The House Of Borgia' & 'Florence In The Time Of The Medici', among others. Hopefully this review will assist any prospective reader in determining whether to add this wonderful stylistic historical biography to their library.
Eric Russell Chamberlin was a British historian who lived from 1926 - 2006, & was the author of numerous historical studies & biographies, among them 1969's 'The Bad Popes', 1974's 'The Fall Of The House Of Borgia' & 'Florence In The Time Of The Medici', & 1989's 'The Tower Of London : An Illustrated History'. He achieved the height of his popularity during the 1960's & 1970's, & his writing style features a unique & distinctly bygone yet not-unpleasant combination of meticulous scholarship seasoned with his own appraisals & interpretations. He also occasionally assumes his reader's familiarity with certain historical events & facts which fall outside the scope of the main text, such as when he refers to the English mercenary commander Sir John Hawkwood as the brother-in-law of Giangaleazzo Visconti, the subject of this study, when Hawkwood was actually married to Donnina Visconti, the natural daughter of Bernabò Visconti, Giangaleazzo's uncle, while his sister was Violante Visconti, who was married first to Lionel, Duke of Clarence, & then to Secondotto, Marquess of Montferrat, making them in-laws of a sort, though not in the traditional sense. These instances do not occur often, however, & overall Chamberlin's writing style is demonstrative of his considerable knowledge of the subject matter & his ability to compose a rich, engrossing historical narrative.
According to his dedicatory entry on encyclopedia.com, Chamberlin was born in Kingston, Jamaica, but left at an early age to return to England with his father during the Great Depression. He dropped out of school when he was 14 years old & began an apprenticeship as a leather dresser, a profession he soon abandoned after enlisting in England's Royal Navy for a tour of duty which lasted from 1944 - 1947. Upon returning home he found work at the Norwich Public Library, where as a librarian the young navy veteran devoted himself avidly & wholeheartedly to the study of old historical texts & manuscripts, & he later worked at the Holburn Public Library & eventually became employed in the Reader's Digest Book Division. This current title, 'The Count Of Virtue : Giangaleazzo Visconti, Duke Of Milan', was his first written work & was published in the United States in 1965 by Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. E.R. Chamberlin would go on to publish over 30 books throughout the course of his prolific career, & was an active historical preservationist whom received an honorary degree from the University of Surrey in Guildford, Surrey, England, for his hard work helping to salvage the Guildford Institute building from destruction in 1982.
Giangaleazzo Visconti was born on 16 October 1351 to Galeazzo II Visconti & Bianca of Savoy with the name Giovanni Galeazzo, but his name was shortened to Gian Galeazzo, & was eventually combined into Giangaleazzo. One of the biography's prevailing themes early on is Chamberlin's exploration on the vastly dissimilar, dichotomous personalities & dynastic strategies of Giangaleazzo's father & uncle, Galeazzo II & Bernabò Visconti. Bernabò & his wife, Beatrice della Scala, would have 15 legitimate children, but Bernabò would sire numerous natural children outside of wedlock with various mistresses, bringing the total to an estimated 30. Giangaleazzo's childhood was spent at court in Pavia, in the company of scholars & learned men such as Francesco Petrarca, & Chamberlin's description of one of their early meetings which was later memorialized in one of Pavia's frescoes by his delighted father Galeazzo, is timeless : 'As Paolo Giovio told the story the five-year-old child, asked by his father to point out the wisest man in a room full of distinguished people, unhesitatingly crossed the floor & touched Petrarch's robe.'
Among the biography's early highlights are Chamberlin's vivid descriptions of the opulent court life in Milan & Pavia, including fascinating summaries of the various marriages & social events that occurred both during Giangaleazzo's early reign as well as that of his father, Galeazzo II Visconti. The author's eloquent summary of Bernardino Corio's prose as it appears in his 'Storia di Milano' when describing the decadent feasting & festivities during the wedding of Giangaleazzo's sister, Violante, & Lionel, Duke of Clarence, provide an excellent glimpse into what must have been an undoubtably extravagant affair : 'There were eighteen courses to the meal but each was double, one of fish & one of meat, the woods & streams & pastures of western Lombardy scoured to provide the choicest meat : veal, trout, quail, partridge, duck, heron, chicken, rabbit, eels, sturgeon, Corio's list was an inventory of the fauna of Lombardy.' In addition to Corio's 'Storia di Milano', Chamberlin also utilizes the writings of the Florentine historian Leonardo Bruni, in his 'Istoria Fiorentina', & the diarist & silk merchant Goro Dati's 'Istoria di Firenze', in addition to more recent works such as John Temple-Leader & Giuseppe Marcotti's 1889 biography, 'Sir John Hawkwood'.
The heirs of Giangaleazzo Visconti were ultimately unable to sustain the Milanese sovereign state's high rate of growth which it enjoyed under their sire's leadership, & the dukedom eventually passed into the hands of the famous condottiere, Francesco I Sforza, upon his marriage to Bianca Maria Visconti, the natural daughter of Giangaleazzo's youngest legitimate son, Fillipo Maria Visconti. The author's eloquent appraisal on the political state of affairs towards the end of Giangaleazzo's reign is excellent : 'In spite of the fact that he had surrounded himself with most able lieutenants, in spite of his consistent policy of delegation, the State was formed by his own will, held together by the force of his personality.' Chamberlin also explains one of two different theories concerning Giangaleazzo's decision to give his male & female descendants the matronymic 'Maria', a tradition which was upheld by the Sforza when they assumed control of Milan in 1450. The other theory is briefly discussed in D.M. Bueno de Mesquita's 1941 study, 'Giangaleazzo Visconti, Duke Of Milan (1351-1402): A Study In the Political Career Of An Italian Despot', but both of them are fascinating & worthwhile additions to their respective studies.
Overall, E.R. Chamberlin's 'The Count Of Virtue' is an outstanding work of modern scholarship by an unbelievably talented writer that should find appeal with any reader who is searching for a solidly-written, capably-researched biography on Giangaleazzo Visconti, & would serve as a wonderful companion piece to Mesquita's more erudite, academic study. This edition is the original 1965 hardcover issue but there is a more recent printing available by Sapere Books as part of a 6-book set of Chamberlin's various studies on Italian history alongside 'The Fall Of The House Of Borgia' & 'Florence In The Time Of The Medici', among others. Hopefully this review will assist any prospective reader in determining whether to add this wonderful stylistic historical biography to their library.
March 5, 2023
An excellent, highly detailed and immensely readable analysis of the life of Jan Visconti.
March 13, 2017
Excellent look at the controversial Visconti Family, mainly Gian Galleazzo Visconti.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews