Originally published in 1970, this book offered a fresh look at the triumph and turmoil of the Renaissance by examining the lives and power of the princes of Italy, who ruled the many independent states and who dominated the society which nurtured the Renaissance painters, sculptors, writers and architects. The book discusses their magnificence, deceit and cruelty, their cultivation and moral corruption and includes specific chapters on Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan, Ercole d’Este, Pope Julius II and Sigismondo Malatesta.