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Renaissance: The Transformation of the West  By  cover art

Renaissance: The Transformation of the West

By: Jennifer McNabb, The Great Courses
Narrated by: Jennifer McNabb
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Publisher's summary

While it’s easy to get caught up - and, rightfully so - in the art of the Renaissance, you cannot have a full, rounded understanding of just how important these centuries were without digging beneath the surface, without investigating the period in terms of its politics, its spirituality, its philosophies, its economics, and its societies.

Do just that with these 48 lectures that consider the European Renaissance from all sides, that disturb traditional understandings, that tip sacred cows, and that enlarges our understanding of how the Renaissance revolutionized the Western world.

Guiding you through centuries of exhilarating change in Europe with the knowledge, insights, and discernment of a master scholar, Professor McNabb offers new perspectives on familiar figures and events while focusing on often-unexplored or overlooked areas, such as the role of women in the Renaissance, the daily lives of the rural poor and urban elite, the classical roots of Renaissance thinking, and the powerful connections between the Renaissance and the Reformation.

By observing the Renaissance less casually and more critically, you’ll uncover insights and connections you can’t find in typical narratives that celebrate these remarkable, tumultuous centuries. These lectures are an authoritative, uncompromising, and multidisciplinary way to experience not just one of Europe’s Renaissance movements - but all of them.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2018 The Great Courses (P)2018 The Teaching Company, LLC

What listeners say about Renaissance: The Transformation of the West

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Recommended!

The lecturer was articulate, entertaining and insightful and made connections I would never have thought of.

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A good book to understand the start of modernizati

A very good book to understand the transition process of Europe and the rest of the world.

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3 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars

Worth the time.

While it this has a little bit of a rough start, it does get better. and there is a lot of good information. Well worth the time.

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Very thorough!

An in depth look at a complete variety of aspects of how the Renaissance impacted lives, religion, economics, politics... etc

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7 people found this helpful

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Good, unique, and missing some detail for a historyphile

Good, unique, and missing some detail for a historyphile.
I wish she had gone into detail around certain chapters, if one listens to all the texts (on renaissance in this instance) there is a very nice well rounded picture. Nothing is perfect.

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1 person found this helpful

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Very clear and Informative

I found this title, well, well done. I found Jennifer very clear on subjects and a wide range from pre-Renaissance through the English Civil War (this was mentioned only a few times. I thought her voice was nice and I would listen to this again. I work at night and this was perfect!

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4 people found this helpful

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Fantastic Course!

Dr. Jennifer McNabb is an engaging speaker whose depth of knowledge and appreciate of nuance shines through in every lecture. This is the best overview of the Renaissance that I have heard through the Great Courses series. Definitely worth listening to!

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20 people found this helpful

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extensive look at the renaissance, but...

Extensive look at the renaissance, but I can't help but feel that the content is more suited to be read than listened to.
still, worth every hour!

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Somewhat frustrating

Some interesting content, but much time is wasted with summarizing, repeating, and "teasing out" commentary

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So many facts and details, wow!

So many facts and details, wow! I will have to listen to this several more times. Very easy to listen to this professor.

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