Reader recommendation: A Life in Six Masterpieces
Monitor readers share their favorite book picks.
November 26, 2014
Irving Stone's novel "The Agony and the Ecstasy" began my lifelong interest in Michelangelo. Now we have a very readable history by Miles J. Unger: A Life in Six Masterpieces. I was enthralled by the competition and jealousy among Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and Michelangelo. Page 287: "The truth was that, like many men of genius, he was still too wrapped up in his art to make a congenial dining companion." The 41/2 page appendix is worth a look: A Guide to Viewing Michelangelo's Art in Florence and Rome. Also, the photos of great works and buildings and drawings of Rome and Florence all add to the rich mix.