Dante: The Poet, the Political Thinker, and the Man

In this definitive biography of Dante, Barbara Reynolds, one of the most renowned authorities on the subject, has produced a book of great and well-balanced erudition, the result of a lifetime dedicated to the Florentine poet.

Considered the first Italian-language poet, Dante Alighieri established his name among the greatest in medieval literature with his masterpiece, The Divine Comedy . However, many mysteries and doubts still surround the writer's figure.

Translator of Dante's Paradise and La Vita Nuova and author of the biography of Dorothy L. Sayers (renowned English translator of the Divine Comedy), Barbara Reynolds presents here a portrait of the poet, the political philosopher and the man as never seen before.

As writer Marco Lucchesi, who wrote the book's blurb, observes, "Barbara reveals herself to be a friend of Dante's characters, the city of Florence, and the intricacies of the Otherworld, drawn by the metaphysics of light, as Beatrice's smile weaves a subtle dialogue with the divine. But it must be emphasized that Barbara Reynolds does not merely portray the mystical Dante, from the highest heaven, immersed in the waters of the Absolute. We have inseparably the politician and the prophet, the philosopher and the theologian. But above all, the total poet, connected to both the earthly and celestial worlds, capable of sublime delicacies and terrible hatreds, such as the one she harbored for Virgil and Boniface VIII, respectively."

Each chapter of Dante: The Poet, the Political Thinker, and the Man brings new discoveries and fresh ideas, some radical and many controversial. The author tackles questions unsolved in the last seven centuries, such as the figure of Veltro, the mysterious words of Hell, and the real existence of Beatrice. She also investigates whether Dante used hallucinogenic substances or somehow experienced a mystical trance while writing his most famous work.

Barbara writes not for specialists, but for a wider audience, concerned with sharing a universal work. In this vigorous and engaging biography, elegantly written, Dante comes to life in an unprecedented way: fiery, obstinate, a man of multiple gifts and extraordinary talent, whose role as an interpreter of world history makes him more relevant than ever for the new millennium.