Books by Joseph M. Levine

The quarrel between the ancients and moderns was resumed in the 17th century as writers and artists debated how far to risk the freedom to innovate. This text argues that it was this tension that gave unity to the cultural life of the period and helped define its baroque character.

In these essays, Joseph M. Levine shows how the idea and method of modern history first began to develop during the Renaissance, when a clear distinction between history and fiction was first proposed. The new claims for history were met by a scepticism in a debate that still echoes today.