500 years ago a 37 year old man completed a work that became the cornerstone of High Renaissance art: the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Young Michelangelo is the definitive account of the early years of one of history’s greatest artists, probing the thinking, artistic evolution and yearnings of a young man thoroughly convinced of his own exceptional talent. John T. Spike brings to life this momentous age, taking in the bonfire of the vanities and the siege of Florence, and reveals the overwhelming influence that Michelangelo’s charismatic personality had on his contemporaries, including the Medici, Machiavelli and Leonardo Da Vinci. AUTHOR: John T. Spike is a noted art historian, author and lecturer. He has directed the Biennial of Florence and in 2007 was named to the faculty of the Masters in Sacred Art History. In 2010 he was engaged by the Council of Europe as an expert in Cultural Heritage. John T. Spike is also the author of the critically acclaimed Caravaggio. He lives in Florence.