Helpful Score: 2
For "Italianophiles" who are interested in the history of the papacy and Italy in the 1500s, this is an interesting book. It documents the hunt for evidence of a "papal elephant" in the reign of Pope Leo X. It includes information about other menageries in Europe at the time, about the conquests of Portugal, papal court history and general history of Rome in the 1500-1600 time period. It is quite well-researched and written, and is a fairly quick read, in spite of all the historical documentation provided. The illustrations are wonderful. The author worked for many years at the National Museum of American History and the Smithsonian, and did extensive research in the Vatican archives.
