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Renaissance: The Transformation of the West cover art

Renaissance: The Transformation of the West

By: Jennifer McNabb,The Great Courses
Narrated by: Jennifer McNabb
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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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5min in she goes full feminist

The first great courses book I haven’t finished. Yes, we all know men are the worst and women had it bad untill the 60’s. I got this book to learn about the history, nobody cares about “Renaissance woman”

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6 people found this helpful

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European Renaissance

This is a great set of lectures. Too often we associate the Renaissance with Italy or just Florence and art. It is not and affected the whole of Europe. I was very interested in aspects of the Renaissance elsewhere and the impact on "normal" peoples' lives. The course managed this and more. Very educational

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6 people found this helpful

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Enjoyable but tries to cover too much.

I would have preferred a narrower approach to the subject, this is perhaps more an introduction to early modern European history. However, I did enjoy it as a whole.

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5 people found this helpful

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Renaissance at speed

Very informative lectures. McNabb clearly has a great interest in the role of women and this comes through. Tons of fantastic information and nuggets as well as opinions and interpretations. In a way one could listen to each one several times and take notes. Great introduction to the issues of the period. My brain is rather overwhelmed and I’ll need to listen again.
I personally don’t like her delivery but that’s not exactly a fault.

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2 people found this helpful

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Full of PC nonsense

An interesting subject but marred by the lecturer's anachronistic PC obsessions. It is a course to miss.

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Interesting yet a little deconstructivist

A tad more deconstructivist than I would have liked, but otherwise interesting and well researched.

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Superb and Original

Wonderful narration of a lively topic with an original slant. Well worth a listen or just to dip into.

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Great Listen

This lady really knows hers stuff.
It is split into different listening 'chapters' I felt this stopped it getting weighed down.
Jennifer McNabb covered all different aspects of The Renaissance.
I particularly enjoyed the chapters on The Reformation, and learnt a lot..
I really enjoyed and recommend highly.

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Magnificent

A fascinating, wide-ranging take on the Renaissance. I enjoyed every lecture. Jennifer McNab has an incredible grasp of the period.

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