The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy

Rating:
Summary: a Renaissance study of literary excellence
Review: The breadth of the author's knowledge about such a wide variety of relevant topics--cultural, literary, historical--spices the book with bits of really superb thumbnail studies and commentary. Burkhardt is an able defender of the value of culture and an able critic of those who would replace freedom with force. I can see why Hermann Hesse got so much out of reading him.

Rating:
Summary: Not the best edition.
Review: Yes, this is still the standard for studies of the Renaissance. But the book deserves a better edition: especially one with relevant illustrations on the page. The best I've seen is the 1958 two-volume Illustrated Edition by the Perennial Library of Harper & Row: not only are all notes conventiently at the bottom of the page, but over 240 illustrations grace the text, usually next to the mention of the subject. Too bad it is out of print. I hope an enterprising publisher will rise to the challenge.