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Rating: 
Summary: Good Overview of the Renaissance Period In Western Europe
Review: A previous reviewer accurately described Wil Durant as a "macrohistorian." Durant's technique is to give the reader a breadth of the issues surrounding a period in history. His style is to cover such diverse topics as art, literature, politics, religion, and philosophy. He's adept at evaluating a historical period vis-a-vis each of these disciplines. Durant has a propensity for reviewing art and architecture ad nauseam, but not to the detriment of covering the other topics. This is forgivable in this context, because the Renaissance period is arguably most noted for its art. I am not an art connoisseur, so I found detailed descriptions of paintings tedious. There are pictures of artwork in the book, but they are of such poor quality that it is difficult to appreciate the quality that Durant assigns to the original works (the photos are poor resolution black and white). Durant's views on religion are more balanced in this book than previous volumes in this series. "Our Oriental Heritage" was an unabashed attack on religions that espoused monotheism. In my mind, this tendency hurt his credibility as an objective researcher. However, Durant shifts his attention to the practitioners of the faith in "The Renaissance." He appears content to expose the excesses of the religious leaders, focusing on the individuals' failures rather than attacking religious precepts. This is the fifth book in the series I've read. In each book Durant displays an ability to provide trenchant analyses of events and individuals.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Historian, great history
Review: After the long Middle Ages, finally there comes the Renaissance. Like all Durant's other books, this one is very good. Like always, you get everything besides history. This is also a nice treat for the Art student. There too many figures to keep track of though. The reader must read carefully and make many mental notes of names. You get some interesting biographical accounts of all the Renaissance masters. The price of the book is good too. The work provides a good background to the casuses of the Reformation.
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Summary: A must-read for history lovers!
Review: I have read all of Durant's books but this one is my favorite. I've read it four times and have taken it with me to Italy. Once you read the book, you too will want to see the works of the artists described so vividly by Durant.
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Summary: Will Durant is one of my favorite historians...
Review: I recommend the whole Story of Civilization set. I've got all eleven. Durant is a brilliant writer and macrohistorian. His approach delves deep into the era with more than just a mere political or social history. I bought the set after my history professor recommended it some time ago. He covers Western Civilization and European history with an in-depth clarity that no historian of the 20th century can match. If you like history, don't pass on Will Durant.
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Summary: Overwhelmingly detailed...
Review: I've read 4 other brilliantly written and researched books by Durant, but after going through this book my admiration of this author turned into awe: the amount of information he provides the reader with (even if you have experience in enjoying such volumes and know the difference betw. Verocchio and Pinturicchio) is unmeasurable. After being through half of the book facts and life-stories of all universally and hardly-so-well-known politicians, humanists, popes, sculptors, artists, philosophers, kings and merchants and a hundred of other notable personae began to choke me and I couldn't finish the book, to my shame. Unfortunately, however dedicated only to one country and even desribing rise and fall of separate Italian cities, the book does not provide such ineteresting details on life and customs (food, housing, men-woman relations) of menfolk in general, so to say "a human touch", as it has been amazingly accomplished in Durant's books on Greece, Rome and medieval Europe. It seems that all tremendous geniuses that lived in that period overshadow their contemporaries with their grandeur and achievements. But if you need to write a thesis on any theme concerning Reneissance Italy, I would recommend this book to you.
Rating: 
Summary: Secular Interpretive View
Review: In all of Will Durant's books one easily sees his persective as that of a secularist who does not hesitate to put his own spin on history. His is definitely an interpretation of facts rather than a mere conveying of the information. Durant's story of the Renaissance starts with Petrarch and Boccaccio. He describes details of the studies, discoveries, travels, and adventures of these inquiring souls. Of Petrarch he writes, that he "took up his residence in Venice in 1361, and lived there for seven years. He brought his library with him..." At a later point he adds about Petrarch, he "took his books with him." The strength of this book is that it gives the human side of some of the creators of this era whose works have stood the test of time. He helps you to see why they thought what they did and the process used in making their contributions. The downside is the heavy editorializing of the author. There's as much interpretation as there is history.
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Summary: The Fifth Volume of The Story of Civilization!
Review: In this, the fifth volume in the series "The Story of Civilization," Dr. Will & Ariel Durant have compiled a magnificent treatise covering the Italian Renaissance.
At over >720 pages, the reader will discover: The magnificent cities of Renaissance Italy (sovereign Florence, Pisa, Venice, etc.). The Great Artists such as Leonardo, Michelangelo, and more. The Great Medici family. Cesare Boria, the model for Machiavelli's master work "The Prince." Rome, briefly resurgent as the "capital of the world," until sacked by French and German mercenaries. And much, much more including plates and maps.
Although written to stand alone, or in the series, the Durants have created a smooth prose that is easily read and understood by both professional and layperson alike. Well done! The prospective reader would do well to purchase this book. I rate it as five stars as part of the Durants authoritative historical Magnum Opus!
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Summary: "A Good Introductory Source to Renaissance Italy"
Review: Will Durant's fifth volume--The Renaissance--out of his magisterial work the Story of Civilization, is an excellent introductory source to this age of rebirth from Francesco Petrarca (1304 AD) all the way to the death of Titian (1576). Durant's primary focus is to furnish the reader with all the pertinent aspects of life in Renaissance Italy. He accomplishes this with his customary talent for providing the reader with a lively narrative that brings the characters and the stage of history to life. Durant's critiques of renaissance art and architecture, his overviews of the manners and morals of the time, his summaries and comments upon the principle pieces of humanist literature, philosophy, and poetry, are all carried with remarkable brilliance. This work, in short, is the extended version of Paul Johnson's pocket-sized book, "The Renaissance: A Short History." Both are highly recommended.
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