The History of the Renaissance World: From the Rediscovery of Aristotle to the Conquest of Constantinople

Bauer's book would be more appropriately titled "A History of the Late Middle Ages" - or, to be more Euro-centric, "The High Middle Ages," the book really ending when the Renaissance began (in 1453). For those seeking a book on the Renaissance proper, look elsewhere, but do give this marvelous history your attention as well. There is much to recommend here (the confusion of the time period not withstanding.)First, this is truly a "world history" - not the typical Euro-centric history with the obligatory nod to civilizations in the Near East and Asia. While much attention is paid to the political goings on in Europe (about 45% of the book), attention and detail is also given to civilizations in Africa (5%), Korea, Japan and Southeast Asia (about 10%), India (10%), China and the Mongols (12%), the Near East and Byzantium (16%) and the Americas (2%). The narrative thread shows the growing interconnectedness between civilizations in terms of economics, culture, religion and politics.Second, the depth and detail Bauer provides in relating a world history is astonishing. Each chapter is between 6 - 8 pages, but they are packed with information about political interrelationships and the aims, goals and hopes of various groups and families from popes to emperors to pretenders to the throne. This makes for a relatively fast-paced read, but it also gives a solid overview of the forces at play.Finally, the writing is superb. Bauer's prose is fluid and geared to a general audience which makes the reading easy and entertaining. Her works cited is extensive and comprehensive with a super-abundance of really outstanding works for those interested in more detail on a given topic, time period or event.In spite of my prickliness regarding the title, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in a well-written history with a genuinely global scope.

Probably the best, most unbiased, least boring, narrative-style, chronological history series ever written. We have the ancient and Medieval volumes as well, and even my 13 yr old loves them. Some advanced vocabulary, but my 13-yr old son loves the books enough that he doesn’t mind looking up words as he goes (this is really something for a 13 yr old boy). They’re fun/rewarding words to look up. You can tell the author loves words, because she uses them in wonderful ways.

The latest installment in Susan Wise Bauer's series on the History of the World is just as well researched and entertaining as the previous volumes. I could not help but notice, however, that it is much shorter. The cut off point (the fall few Constantinople) seemed odd too. Why not the end of the reconquista and the discovery of the new world? I was left with the impression that her editors are looking to cash in on the unusual popularity of her work. That said, this is a must read. More so if you have read her other books. Ms. Wise Bauer makes history come alive. She is thorough but never tedious. And she has an uncanny ability to weave together common threads in the human experience from the most ancient records through the present.

I've purchased and read Ms. Bauer's other two "History of the World" books, and I debated whether to purchase it in hardback or on the Kindle. I decided to go with the Kindle version because I like having an easily accessible dictionary at a mere touch of a finger. I have a Kindle Paperwhite and a Kindle Fire, HD.I was disappointed that the e-book isn't (yet) more than a scanned in copy of sorts. The index, for instance, does not have links but lists the pages of the paper book. I'd like to be able to search using the "x-ray" feature of the Kindle. I'd like to be able to search by word as well, typing in "Constantine" and arrive at that location in the book. The Table of Contents is the easiest way to hop around the book by subject.The timelines & maps are treated by the Kindle as illustrations. (One has to click on it & enlarge in order for the picture to be readable). The timeline text/photo isn't all that readable once enlarged; utterly un-readable in its small state.The material of the book is wonderful. I'm acquiring a love for history as I age, and the quality of writing & research make each of The History of the World series a delight to read. This book could also be used for a high school curriculum for home school students. I was hoping for more whistles & bells with the electronic version.

Was looking for a book specifically on European history during the Medieval ages and rather mistakenly purchased this book, which covered the world during the Medieval period, including Asia (northern and southern), India, Africa (primarily Western Africa) and Meso-America (Mayan and Incan) history. Superbly written and meticulously researched, easily approached, a tome from which I learned a great deal and am thus the better for it.Not as socially/culturally focused as Barbara Tuckman's "A Distant Mirror" (a truly delightful book, even more easily approachable than Professor Bauer's and quite a pleasurable read), but so very informative.

We used Story of the World books in our homeschool curriculum. And now that our children are older, we’re including the next level of Susan Wise Baer‘s from school books.

This book is well worth the read. As a high school history teacher, I have found this book to be incredibly useable in my courses. Not only is the book very readable, but provides interesting stories and antidotes that make the characters of this time period come alive. The author provides a large breadth of content addressing not only the history within the Byzantine and Ottoman empires, but also China and India, so that the reader gets a full overall picture of what was happening in the 'world' at this time in history. The use of maps and timelines are a welcome addition to aid the reader in their understanding of the content. Susan Wise Bauer is my go-to-author for this time period. Whether it is her book on the Ancient World or the Medieval World or now the Renaissance World, these books are fantastic reading, not only for those in the teaching profession, but also for someone who has a passion for history, wants to learn about this time period or just wants a really good read.

It's a excellent book that is easy to read. It's recommended you have basic knowledge of the time period or you may find yourself a little lost in the facts.

A good, easy to read overview of world history from 1100 to 1500 with plenty of maps and diagrams. This is a narrative history with little in the way of analysis of the reasons for what happened but given the scope of the book, it would have to be much longer for that. The author looks at different parts of the world at similar times so a chapter on Edward II might be followed by a chapter on the Sultanate of Dehli. I like the authors style-clear concise and easy to read. There's very little about how ordinary people lived here but then that's not what the book is about and if you want further information there are plenty of notes and plenty of sources cited at the back. Money well spent.

Meandering. Slow. Not as good as her first volume.