"The Agony and the Ecstasy: A Biographical Novel of Michelangelo", by Irving Stone. Published by Doubleday and Company, Garden City New York. First BOMSC edition with '1961' imprinted on the title page and copyright. Book of the Month Selection Club edition was issued one month after the 1st printing of the trade edition, and printed from the same plates. The points of BOMSC are: BOMSC imprint and no price on the front flap of the dust jacket, 'W' on the copyright page, and small impressed dot on the backboard.

Original dust jacket [some wear and damages - mostly the backside], dust jacket is protected in mylar cover; hard boards, original publisher's 'antique white' cloth with black lettering on the front board and black blocks on spine, gold lettering on spine; 6.1/2" x 9.1/2"; 664 pages including Notes, Bibliography, and 'Present Location of Michelangelo's Works', a little wear, five small page corner folds, very good condition.

Irving Stone's classic biographical novel of Michelangelo- the #1 New York Times bestseller in which both the artist and the man are brought to vivid, captivating life. His time- the turbulent Renaissance, the years of poisoning princes, warring Popes, and the all-powerful de'Medici family... His loves-the frail and lovely daughter of Lorenzo de'Medici, the ardent mistress of Marco Aldovrandi, and his last love, his greatest love- the beautiful, unhappy Vittoria Colonna...His genius- a God-driven fury from which he wrested brilliant work that made a grasp for heaven unmatched in half a millennium...

Michelangelo Buonarroti-- creator of the David, painter of the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel, architect of the dome of St. Peter's, Michelangelo lives once more in the tempestuous, powerful pages of Irving Stone's towering triumph. A masterpiece in its own right, this biographical novel offers a compelling portrait of one of the greatest artists the world has ever known.

Stone (1903-1989) lived in Italy for years visiting many of the locations in Rome and Florence, worked in marble quarries, and apprenticed himself to a marble sculptor. A primary source for the novel is Michelangelo's correspondence, all 495 letters of which Stone had translated from Italian by Charles Speroni. Stone also collaborated with Canadian sculptor Stanley Lewis, who researched Michelangelo's carving technique and tools. The Italian government lauded Stone with several honorary awards for his cultural achievements highlighting Italian history.

Part of this novel was adapted to film in "The Agony and the Ecstasy" (1965), starring Charlton Heston as Michelangelo and Rex Harrison as Pope Julius II.

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