Tacitus and Bracciolini. The Annals Forged in the XVth Century

"Tacitus and Bracciolini. The Annals Forged in the XVth Century" by John Wilson Ross is a historical exploration that questions the true origin of the "Annals," traditionally credited to Tacitus. Ross develops a case that the "Annals" were actually the work of Poggio Bracciolini, a humanist from Florence during the Renaissance period. The author supports this idea by a careful review of the work, highlighting contradictions and historical inaccuracies, as well as noting the lack of any mention of it before the 1400s. The book starts by laying out Ross's main point: that the writings linked to Tacitus may have been fakes from a sneaky literary practice. He talks about his search into who really wrote the "Annals," showing how important it is to question whether someone famous in history was being untruthful. Ross shares important observations about the story itself, timeline problems, and the fact that no one mentioned the "Annals" until the fifteenth century, carefully guiding the reader through a compelling and insightful probe into the foundations of historical truths.