"It turned out to be what is known as a 'constitutional' history - a sober compilation lightened with improving illustrations...[It] was concerned only with social progress and political evolution; with the Black Death, and the invention of printing...He thumbed through the pages on the fifteenth century, looking for personal items; for individual reports that might, in their single vividness, illuminate the scene for him as a 'spot' lights the desired part of the stage. But the story was distressingly devoted to the general...there was a dearth of human beings in this record of humanity."
- Josephine Tey, _The Daughter of Time_

The character of Grant in _The Daughter of Time_ was speaking of a book of history for the student, so the comparison isn't exact. _Renaissance_, as one of the Great Ages of Man series, is meant more for the lay reader - good enough to cite in a term paper, provide a mental 'map' of the period, or use as a stepping-stone in finding *its* bibliographic sources, but not something one would cite in a serious scholarly work. Also, given the subject matter, the "improving illustrations" are first-rate, ranging from a 2-page illustrated map of Florence, including major buildings drawn in perspective, to da Vinci's technical drawings, to details of the works of Botticelli and Michaelangelo. However, the pictures aren't of the full-bore variety found in art history books; they're present to support the text, rather than the other way round. For example, in discussing Florence's wool industry, two pages are bordered with a partial sequence of the process, noting that there are more than 30 steps, each with its own specialized workers, but only hitting a few high notes in sketching out the process (not even listing them all).

Hale's focus is that of his own subject area - Renaissance Italy - and thus begins by noting that there really was no such thing. The Kingdom of Naples, the dukedom of Milan, the republic of Venice, and many small-time city states - Machiavelli's response to a naive suggestion that they unite against France and Spain was along the lines of don't be ridiculous, kid. Since the book is meant for the lay reader, it isn't footnoted, but does carry a bibliography and full credits on all paintings, sculptures, and other artwork shown. While in itself the book isn't rigorous enough for research, it provides perspective - a 2 page map of Florence - but in the MapEasy style, with major buildings drawn in perspective.

Hale uses a broad canvas - 'there are a dearth of human beings in this history', as Tey would say - downplaying anecdotes illuminating individual figures. The artwork scattered thoughout leavens the effect. Hale provides sweeping theories to organize his broad overview, without a scholar's usual footnotes and other means of backing up his theories with proof.

Hale begins by examining the causes of the Renaissance - unlike some other scholars I've read, he lays very little stress on the Black Death. Economically, the Italian states' increasing prosperity led to the development of many commonplaces of modern commerce - credit transfers, holding companies, marine insurance - and as law and legal studies grew in prestige and importance, students of law re-examined Roman law (very practical, since Rome's huge empire would already have had some of the same problems). Politically, the Papacy's departure from Rome and the slackening grip of the Holy Roman Empire in the north and the Kingdom of Naples in the south let the city-states focus on themselves. Succeeding chapters focus on specific city-states, separated by 'photo-essays' on specific areas, e.g. travel, da Vinci.

The last chapter, dealing with the period when France had recovered from the Hundred Years' War, and their majesties of Castile and Aragon had evicted the forces of Islam from Spain - and therefore had time to use Italy as a battleground for more ambitious schemes - sketches the Renaissance as it affected the rest of Europe.