Overview
An encyclopedia of the Renaissance with articles on various aspects of social, cultural, and political history such as literature, government, warfare, and technology, plus maps, charts, definitions, and chronology.An encyclopedia of the Renaissance with articles on various aspects of social, cultural, and political history such as literature, government, warfare, and technology, plus maps, charts, definitions, and chronology.
Synopsis
Scribner's has taken its six-volume Encyclopedia of the Renaissance (1999) and adapted it to produce this four-volume resource for middle and high school students. The entries are arranged alphabetically and feature events, people, places, monuments, and ideas current between 1350 and 1620. Definitions of terms are provided in the left margin of the entries. The volumes also include maps, tables, boxes with short descriptions of concepts, and b&w illustrations. Four series of color plates are included, on art and architecture, daily life, the city, and new frontiers. Separate entries summarize art in the countries of Britain, Central Europe, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain and Portugal. Volume four contains a bibliography, organized by subject, of academic sources as well as some books for young readers. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Library Journal
Based on the Dartmouth Medal-winning Encyclopedia of the Renaissance (2000) and like that work published in association with the Renaissance Society of America, this illustrated set is designed for high school students. The text focuses on the Renaissance-era topics covered in most school curricula, with an emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and sciences of the period. The reference provides in-depth data on all aspects of the European Renaissance, from 1350 to 1620, with 465 alphabetically arranged entries ranging from absolutism to Swiss reformer Ulrich Zwingli and covering many important themes (e.g., women's roles, health and medicine, politics, technology), events (e.g., the bubonic plague), ideas (e.g., humanism), and individuals (e.g., Michelangelo, Machiavelli). Readers will also find a comprehensive index, a useful bibliography with age-appropriate reading sources, cross references at the end of articles, and stunning color plates illuminating the daily life and artistic achievements of the time. In addition, lively sidebars supplement the text with interesting facts, important terms are given easy-to-understand definitions in the margins, and maps, charts, and time lines extend the reference value of this work. Although expensive, this reference is a good addition to both school and public libraries and will serve not only the targeted audience but college students, scholars, and the general public.-Bobbie Wrinkle, McCracken Cty. P.L., Paducah, KY Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.