Before this book I knew Erasmus as a name, but with good translation and text selection, I now know more of the person and his place in the world of thinkers.
The book is oddly presented - it launches into Praise of Folly with no introduction, no background. Only after the main text, the secondary text (Pope Julian Barred from Heaven) and the notes on both, do we find an excellent background to Erasmus and his times. And then, right at the end of the book, is a short biography of Pope Julius. Odd, but worth reading to the end. The backgrounders are well done - enough depth to save us from Wikipedia, but not too dry.
The translation of the classical latin of the 16th century has been done well. When the translated term is too obviously a neologism, the notes explain the choice.
Good stuff.
Read June 2016. ( )