I love the side-alleys of history—the relatively ignored, the peculiar, the losers, the things that could have been but didn't end up being, the stuff that's fascinating, but didn't move the world. My Classics/history grad school work was a parade of such topics. But there's a time and a place for such work, and a "Very Short Introduction" is not one of them. Rather, such books need to hit the dead center of the topic--the stuff that sets it apart, the stuff that matters. In another context, I'd love to hear Brotten talk about, say, Ottomans in the Renaissance. (I mean—I'm the guy who put Filelfo's poetic encomium to Mehmet the Conqueror on their Classics reading list!) But not in a Very Short History, where I expect to get a brilliant synthesis and theory. So… meh. ( )

The book is well written and examine importants aspects of Renaissance. An introduction that gives the reader (or the listener) a glimpse into the historical facts of the time and the literary and artistics works produced. Short book with valuable informations. ( )

This is exactly what the title says it is - a very short introduction to the Renaissance. I love this series because it lets me quickly brush up on some areas of history. This one is a little more scattered than some others I've looked at, but that reflects the big subject that it entails. Brotton talks about humanism, exploration, art, science and printing. He tries to keep them tied together although the connections sometimes go by the wayside.

There were three key issues that I found most interesting. The first was humanism, which is very difficult to define. But it looks like it is the basis for modern liberal arts education, which values a well-rounded education as a way for self-cultiavation more than a vocational education to gain a livelihood. The author notes, however, that the ideals we sometimes attach to humanism (representative government, freedom, equality) are something we project back on the period. Humanists were as likely to work for tyrants as not. The paycheck was more important than the message.

Brotton also points out that the Renaissance was not a purely European phenomenon that shows its superiority. It was heavily influenced by earlier learning from the muslim world and India, but then built on that. He also shows that there was no clear idealogical divide between Christian and Muslim at this time, as Europeans routinely allied with Muslim powers if they had a common enemy.

Printing was also crucial to the Renaissance. Literacy was improving and many writers began writing in the vernacular rather than Latin or Greek. Science, poetry, novels and news were all distributed much more widely than was possible before the printing press. This meant that ideas could travel further and quicker than before, bringing more people into the creative process, which promoted more advances.

He then goes on to show the changes of the Renaissance helped promote the art we associate with it so stronger. And it promoted the oceanic exploration which would eventually lead to a much more integrated Euroasian-African economy. It also fostered religious change with the Protestant Reformation and the subsequent Catholic Reformation.

If this review seems disjointed, then it accurately reflects the book. Brotton has done an excellent job of explaining a huge phenomenon in a very short space. There was no way to avoid it seeming a little scattered. Yet it is still worth reading if you want a primer on the subject. ( )

A revisionist attempt to introduce the Renaissance, interpreting it in terms of Islam, absolutism, and greed. It is ambiguous about whether the Renaissance is an identifiable period or not. The author exhibits an attitude of contempt toward most of the leading figures of the period, its institutions, and its popular movements. There are frequent factual errors and contradictions.

What the author is good at is using detailed analysis of works of art to illustrate more general aspects of culture and society. This type of exegesis makes the opening chapter a much better read than the remainder of the book. I can't recommend this volume to anyone, but I especially discourage anyone who has little or no background in the period from relying on Botton for an introduction. ( )

Useful ( )