The Renaissance, the Reformation, and the Rise of Nations

Super

This was poor and mis-sold under the title "academic excellence". The delivery is poor and very homely, analysis of crucial issues missing and interpretation often very mistaken. You have to ask what sources he used to produce this (very long) work and whether he actually gets away with teaching this course.If this is an example of the excellence provided by the Great Courses series, I wouldn't bother to get an education.

I am somewhat gobsmacked by the other review since I found this course to give a hugely interesting and informative sweep of history. It attempts - successfully in my view - to explain the economic and social drivers for political and cultural change during the early modern period, starting with Florence, and then panning out to Italy and the rest of Europe. I didn't agree with everything, and a few of the lecturer's quirks (eg referring to Wolsey and Cromwell as 'prime ministers') grated slightly but these are very minor gripes when set against the huge amount that I learnt, and was given to think about.