The Renaissance: A Short History (Modern Library Chronicles)

There is a lot to like in Johnson's short history of the Renaissance - his opening chapter on the economic and historical background is outstanding in which he explains the grey area that is "early modern history" as Europe gradually transitions from the medieval world (in thought and politics) and towards the "modern era." In many respects, this is the strongest section of the book, as the difference in world view, centers of power, and in commercial focus is clearly deliniated and the impact and importance of the Renaissance (beyond the artistic, which is what most readily comes to mind) is demonstrated. The following chapters on art, literature and scholarship are good, but would have been vastly improved had the art (paintings, sculpture and architecture) been graphically shown, the better to give readers a quick and easy reference to the elements on which Johnson discusses.The artists and works Johnson focuses on all demonstrate the broader themes and changes of the intellectual climate, and the interplay of religion and politics as reflected in literature and art (between, for example Italy and the Netherlands) are clearly explained, to his credit. However, it is simply too difficult for readers to recognize the details and elements of which he writes about without a ready image to compare. For this reason, I give it such a luke-warm review.In terms of written content, this is an outstanding primer on the larger topics and themes and would be a great place to begin for those interested in a general history on the time period. Having a tablet, laptop or good phone to pull-up the various pieces of art is almost necessecary, however, which is both a distraction and a pain. A pity the editors made the decision to not include them, as it detracts from the overall quality of what is otherwise a sound and well-written history.

Like most books on the Renaissance, this book focuses on the Renaissance in Italy, and like most such books, it focuses on art and artists. Thankfully, it is brief, because I find lengthy discussions of art rather boring. The book provokes an interesting question: what exactly is the value of art? Italy produced some of the greatest visual art the world has ever seen, but it remained politically and economically backward, while the less artistically precocious northern European nations flourished and came to dominate the world. In some ways I think the Renaissance is overrated and the Middle Ages are underrated, but that is the opinion of an amateur historian. As a short introduction to a much analyzed period, this book is a useful if not riveting work.

This was a tough one to call as far as how many stars to give...I was wavering between 3 and 4. The most accurate rating would probably be 3 1/2 stars. On the negative side there are two drawbacks to the book. The first is, if you have already read a few books on the Renaissance you won't find much that is new here. The second drawback is the lack of pictures- really inexcusable in a book of this kind. (That is probably the major reason why I went with 3 stars rather than 4.) The majority of the book deals with architecture, sculpture and painting. How can you not include reproductions? I realize that the publisher wanted to keep the price down, but they could have at least included a few plates....even some black and white ones would have been helpful (especially in the sections on architecture and sculpture, where color is not that essential). On the positive side, if you haven't read anything on the Renaissance this book is a good starting point. Mr. Johnson provides some historical background, and then he tells a little bit about key figures in all of the areas mentioned above, (and before he gets into the visual arts he has a good chapter on the heavyweights in the areas of literature and scholarship). Another good thing about the book is that even though it is short and Mr. Johnson has to cram in a lot of people, the book isn't written like an encyclopedia. The prose isn't dry. The author is enthusiastic and isn't afraid to express his opinions. To give you an example, Mr. Johnson includes several pages on Dante and Chaucer- to show that even though they wrote in an earlier period they were harbingers of what the Renaissance was all about...they were fascinated by individual human beings and therefore created characters who were real rather than archetypes. In discussing Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" Mr. Johnson has this to say: "These men and women jump out from the pages, and live on in the memory, in ways that not even Dante could contrive. There is genius here of an inexplicable kind: Chaucer is one of the four English writers- the other three being Shakespeare, Dickens and Kipling- whose extraordinary ability to peer into the minds of diverse human creatures defies rational explanation and can only be attributed to a mysterious 'daemon.'" Mr. Johnson's comments are usually interesting and pertinent but he occasionally shoots from the hip and says something silly, such as the following: "(Albrecht) Durer was unusually thoughtful and articulate for a painter..." I could give Mr. Johnson a long list of intellectual artists, which would include Rubens, Delacroix, Degas, Van Gogh, Matisse, Duchamp, Picasso, Braque, etc. All because someone creates with paint (or music) rather than with words doesn't mean they aren't thoughtful or articulate. Fortunately, comments like this are few and far between and Mr. Johnson is usually sensible rather than silly. So, in summary, this is a good book for the reader who doesn't know a lot about the Renaissance and the pleasing style will make the reader want to learn more about the topics and people that are discussed.

After finishing this 186 page book, you can probably read 10 more books on the Renaissance and not find an artist or work of art that is not discussed in this book. Johnson really covers it all.However, Johnson also provides some art criticism that makes me wonder if he lacks something in art appreciation. On Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, "...one sometimes feels that...It is not done well; but you are surprised to find it done at all." On the Mona Lisa, "...the face and the hands are woefully inconsistent..." And on Correggio's Io, "...it requires a strong effort of imagination to find it erotic..." There are other examples.Johnson's art criticism should not bias the appreciation of these and other Renaissance masterpieces. One should read other art books to get a better feel for what the art offers.Still, a great little book on a magical period of human history.

informative and well written Paul Johnson does his best to condense and elaborate part of history int a short read. Good bb=ook for an overview

This copy was 'very well' read(student's book), thus marked. Thanks to the US Postal Service's delay tactics - which also worked 'very well' - it finally arrived.