The Italian Renaissance

The Italian Renaissance
By J.H. Plumb
Published in 1961
320 Pages
Thibault’s Score: 2/5

Mediocre history books about the Renaissance seems to be an entire genre. The Italian Renaissance, by J.H. Plumb is an uninspired history of the political and social circumstances of Renaissance Italy. It briefly covers the period of the late Middle Ages, then explains how changing social circumstances created the wealth necessary for the Renaissance. I finished the book on the same day that I picked it up, and, once again, barely remember any details. Instead, what I remember is that the book goes into political minutia without giving any real context - and I quickly got lost in the names of miscellaneous kings and queens, dukes, and doges. This book misses the forest for the trees.