Eric Cochrane (1928–1985)

Eric Cochrane's fairly comprehensive survey of the landscape and evolution of academic societies in Tuscan Italy is about the best one can hope for. He identifies five themes and follows their shape through the 100ish years of the book's scope. From the Apatisti to the Georgofili to the Crusca, each organization has its focus and its flaws. One group, for example, spent a fair amount of energy making sure that only Tuscan words were in its publications, much to the chagrin of anyone just show more wishing to get their ideas out there. There are still vestiges of these societies left in Tuscany, but the glory days are far behind them. This book reads a lot like someone Master's or PhD work getting published, but should be of interest to fans of either Italian or scholastic history. show less