An unusual and thought-provoking collection of biographies that tell the story of the two great movements in European history that ushered in modern times. Many of the figures will be familiar (Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Luther) but there are some unusual and intriguing choices as well (Machiavelli, Cesare Borgia, and Michael Sattler, for example). The text covers the period in Western European history from 1300-1550, and also includes chapters on Giotto,...