If you like, as I do, SJ Parris' historical series featuring real-life monk/philosopher/astronomer Giordano Bruno, you might be interested in the non-fiction book,
The Pope & the Heretic: The True Story of Giordano Bruno, the Man Who Dared to Defy the Roman Inquisition, by Michael White. Even though the title is too long. I've had this on eReaderIQ for a little while, and it has just now dropped to $2.99 in the US, and it's discountable at Kobo US.
I like it a lot when authors use real people in their historical mysteries, and like it even more when there is an Author's Note that clarifies what/who is historical, and what/who is made up. And
The Pope & the Heretic should be a like a book-length Author's Note!
Kindle US:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000QTEA60
Kobo US:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-pope-the-heretic
Spoiler:
Quote:
The story of the trial of visionary philosopher Giordano Bruno. “A nice overview of the conflict between religion and philosophy in the Renaissance.” —Publishers Weekly
Giordano Bruno challenged everything in his pursuit of an all-embracing system of thought. This not only brought him patronage from powerful figures of the day but also put him in direct conflict with the Catholic Church. Arrested by the Inquisition and tried as a heretic, Bruno was imprisoned, tortured, and, after eight years, burned at the stake in 1600. The Vatican “regrets” the burning yet refuses to clear him of heresy.
But Bruno’s philosophy spread: Galileo, Isaac Newton, Christiaan Huygens, and Gottfried Leibniz all built upon his ideas; his thought experiments predate the work of such twentieth-century luminaries as Karl Popper; his religious thinking inspired such radicals as Baruch Spinoza; and his work on the art of memory had a profound effect on William Shakespeare.
Chronicling a genius whose musings helped bring about the modern world, Michael White pieces together the final years—the capture, trial, and the threat the Catholic Church felt—that made Bruno a martyr of free thought.
“White’s book is exemplary for its discussions of the period’s intellectual beliefs and social structure and for its vivid detail and illuminating look at Bruno’s trial and subsequent death.” —Library Journal
“Riveting.” —Birmingham Post
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