James Hankins

The first full-length study of Francesco Patrizi—the most important political philosopher of the Italian Renaissance before Machiavelli—who sought to reconcile conflicting claims of liberty and equality in the service of good governance. At the heart of the Italian Renaissance was a longing to recapture the wisdom and virtue of Greece and Rome. But how could this be done? A new...

"...a monumental work of reclamation and revival...The Golden Thread comes as a history, an argument, a treasure hoard." - The Wall Street JournalA sweeping, resource-rich history of the ancient world and Christendom-designed for students and lifelong learners alike, and faithful to the enduring legacy of the Western tradition.This is Volume I of a two-part series tracing the story of Western...

Winner of the Helen and Howard Marraro PrizeA Times Literary Supplement Book of the Year Perhaps the greatest study ever written of Renaissance political thought. —Jeffrey Collins, Times Literary Supplement Magisterial Hankins shows that the humanists' obsession with character explains their surprising indifference to particular forms of government. If rulers lacked authentic virtue, they believed, it did not matter what...