"The Renaissance, now in its third edition, engages with earlier and current debates about the Renaissance, especially concerning its 'modernity', its elitism and gender-bias, and its globalism. Brown provides a fresh insight into some of the main themes of the Renaissance, with humanism now being explored in relation to gender, the position of women, and the response of religious reformers to the new ideas. Key themes, such as humanism, art and architecture, Renaissance theatre, and the invention of printing, are illustrated with quotations and exempla, making this book an invaluable source for students of the Renaissance, early modern history, and social and cultural history"-- |