Civilization of Europe in the Renaissance Book

Read this for a history of Early Modern Europe course, and found it to be interesting but very much an overview of something I already have a decent idea of . Hale is synthesizing a lot of information here, and because of that there are just some points where the book gets borderline unreadable for a few pages. It is so packed full of examples of the development of "Europe" that it strays into the obscenely detailed. Because it is so packed with information (it is the most comprehensive coverage of a period I have seen in print form since Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire), there is definitely something for everyone. I would recommend approaching the book holistically and skimming the surface on sections that are less immediately appealing. There are people who will be interested in the in-depth development of perspective in painting - I am not one of those humans. If you are interested in the implications or theoretical possibilities of such a thing, there is some discussion, but overall Hale doesn't dive deep enough on any topic in specific to give a good idea. There is just enough information where the conclusions he draws are well-rounded, interesting, and viable; but just enough generalization to find where the cracks form.

I will admit, I skimmed several sections in this book where maybe they deserve more attention. It was more due to time constraint than anything else, but I recommend taking this book in chunks. It is separated very well thematically to allow for anyone with a general interest to do so, and it doesn't read to me like it is thoroughly chronological. Each section (or topic if you prefer) has its own chronology that produces a total picture of the Renaissance. Overall a good read, but not exactly hte most thrilling for people who read a lot about the Renaissance anyway.