Customer Reviews

Italian Renaissance (American Heritage Library Series)

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Plumb's book is a very readable introduction to the Renaissance. He begins by explaining how civilization collapsed after the fall of Rome. But the Renaissance grew from the increases in population, trade and the flow of ideas. Italy was a land of cities instead of feudalism, able to make good use of trade to gain great power. The increase of trade brought power to the merchants and guilds instead of the nobility. Trade and power brought money to support an explosion of the arts and finance the flow of ideas, especially from the past.

Plumb describes the histories of some of the cities of Italy. In one chapter he describes the intricate diplomacy of Milan. In other chapters he describes the commerce of Venice and the trade of Florence. We see the brilliance of artists and dissipation of rulers. Plumb describes how the new learning, the new way of seeing the world, spread across Europe.

However, Plumb only wrote half of the book. The second half contains a series of biographies of great artists and rulers of the Renaissance, written by different authors. There are short biographies of artists such as Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci: rulers such as Lorenzo de Medici and Doge Foscari, and authors such as Petrarch and Machiavelli. This book is a tour de force introduction to the magnificent Renaissance.

I was surprised how easy it was to read The Italian Renaissance. Some history books are an effort to read, but this one was such a breeze I got myself caught up in it, and finished it in only a day or two. The first half of the book is by Plumb, which goes over the principal cities and themes of the Renaissance. The second half is a mix of biographies of prominent figures of the period by different authors - but there isn't much of a difference between these pieces and Plumb's half in style, both are wonderful to read. This book was so good I've bought a few more in the American Heritage series. If you want a good survey of the Renaissance in Italy, than this is the perfect book for you.

This book is informative, intelligent, and so well written that it can have a strong appeal to the reader sheerly as literature. It is also a funny book. All the intrigues, treacheries, betrayals, and cruelties perpetrated by the pillars of the Renaissance society (popes, politicians, eminent soldiers) are described so naturally, vividly, and, sometimes, unexpectedly that I could not help but laugh when reading about them.

Plumb knows how to go straight to the point and give the reader his insights clearly and unobtrusively. He does not preach, he simply states and gives facts so wonderfully that I could not help but admire his masterful style of presentation. Here is an example: "In the darkest decades, there was a froce at work--trade--that was inimical to this world of warriors, priests, and peasants. Trade drew Moslem, Jew, and Christian together; trade fattened towns, sometimes bred them." Notice with what facility Plumb has just outlined the importance of trade--it mitigates cultural barriers and draws people together on the basis of mutual business interests. Or, here is an example of how Renaissance confronted dogmatism and obsession with getting at truth by deductive reasoning: "The old dogmatic certainties did not vanish at once, and the habit of trying to nail truth down by argument from fundamental principles was not lightly cast aside. Some of the most original minds, however, particularly Machiavelli and Leonardo da Vinci, sought truth not in argument but in observation." The book is full of such gems.

Renaissance was strange, cruel, and full of life and culture. This book gives us Renaissance in all its splendor fitting to a description of the time of revival and vitality.

Plumb's work is very readable and paints an overview of the Italian Renaissance with a broad brush. It is, however, 47 years old (published 1961). There's been an enormous amount of scholarship in those 47 years, and Plumb is showing his age, in his adulatory tone and his dismissive insults about the European Middle Ages.

I wish there were more books like this one. The first half is discussion by J. H. Plumb about many basic aspects of the Italian Renaissance one should know, the second half is a collection of well-written biographical essays about prominent Italian Renaissance figures. The second half was particularly good. I think Kenneth Clark's essay on Michaelangelo and Morris Bishop's on Petrach were the best, but they were all very good. All are well written, unpretentious and intelligent, and all concern interesting people.

The notable figures of Renaissance Italy are really quite different from notable figures of the American Revolution, say. They were much more passionate. The good better, the evil were more evil. Men loved works of art, they didn't just pretend to. I was reading about Benedict Arnold recently, deplorable traitor! but for diabolical rogues, he's nothing beside Cesare Borgia or Sigismondo Malatesta. And who can compare with Federigo da Montefeltro? Or Leonardo da Vinci? They're inspirational. They make you want to live.

Anyway, this is great book. I'm glad I read it.

What an intriguing book! I have a degree in art history so the Italian Renaissance is nothing new to me. I so enjoyed this book! It is written for a reader that is somewhat familiar with the time & people, but it goes into detail to clairfy. This was a great read!

I ordered this book for a 12 year old who is fascinated with the Italian Renaissance. I was slightly worried that the Book might be too "old" for him. After receiving the Book I went through a lot of it. It is great reading for any one who has a special interest, including a 12 year old. The addition of various writers on specific persons makes this book even more interesting.

It was slow in starting, but once it got rolling, this book was terrific! The first several chapters sounded like the "hype" you hear in television commercials for upcoming action flicks, and the style got old after only a few pages. Once the book really began, however, it was excellent through to the end. Plumb and his fellow authors do not shy away from the most terrible and disgusting aspects of the Renaissance, such as the revival of pederasty and the rampant adultery committed by middle class men, nor do they fail to give praise where praise is due. You get a real feel for the Renaissance and the great personalities, achievements, and events of the period. The last few chapters, which cover several of the greatest individuals of the Renaissance, are particularly good. They lead the reader to a real appreciation for the people of the Renaissance, a real understanding of what makes them tick, and an empathy for each of them as a person. This book taught me to love the Renaissance.

The text by mr. Plumb is very entertaining. The images do not add much to the value of the book. The second part of the book, consisting of monographs on individual personalities, written by several scholars, was a much less enjoyable read. On the whole: informative.

Plumb's broad overview of the Italian Renaissance is married to an uneven collection of essays by various scholars on representative figures of the period. Very much in the old manner historically speaking (which I actually think is a good thing), but not consistent enough to be all that recommendable.