Written by Baldasar Castiglione, count of Novilara and an Italian courtier himself, ''The Book of the Courtier'' remains as one of the most important and definitive accounts of Renaissance court life. Organized as a series of fictional conversations that occur between the courtiers of the Duke of Urbino in 1507, ''The Book of the Courtier'' discusses the expectations of a courtier who must have a warrior spirit, be athletic, and have good knowledge of the humanities, classics and fine arts. As the members of the court try to describe the perfect gentleman of the court over the course of four evenings they engage in a debate over the nature of nobility, humor, women, and love in the age of the Italian Renaissance. The English translation of Leonard E. Opdycke of this important historical writing is presented here in this edition of ''The Book of the Courtier.''