'… lucidly and elegantly written book … a fine example of that time-honored approach to the subject, intellectual and cultural history … [This book] is surely destined to establish itself quickly as the best introduction to the subject of Renaissance humanism. In particular, it will be essential reading for graduate students preparing for their comprehensive examinations and for instructors faced ... Read morewith the task of explaining humanism to their students.' James M. Estes, Sixteenth Century Journal 'One would have thought it impossible to write such a book, but Charles Nauert has done it … this book presents every important aspect of humanist culture, from Petrarch to Montaigne. All this is accomplished with deft authority and with disarming judiciousness … His book supersedes any previous attempt at such a synthesis, and each chapter, with its own bibliography, is a key to the several sub-fields included here … the writing is so clear that absolutely any reader, without any special preparation, can use this book as a first step toward mastering the field.' George Hupper, The Historian 'A student reading Nauert will get a comprehensive, intelligent, and eminently sensible discussion of the topic. [Nauert] effectively conveys the sweep of humanism over three centuries. He is notably excellent in discussing the sixteenth century … in every chapter of the book he convincingly brings out why and how the classical tradition played such an important role in Renaissance humanism.' John Monfasani, International Journal of the Classical Tradition Show Less