A Short History of Renaissance and Reformation Europe: Dances over Fire and Water (3rd Edition)

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Summary: Readable, quick reference, good for overall understanding
Review: Dr. Zophy has gone through a lot of trouble to make this book a readable guide for first-time students of Renaissance history. It follows a clear outline and is followed by a short list of dates at the end of each chapter. Visual aids also abound in the book with several paintings and examples of art from different periods. However, there are some problems in the actual references. Also, there is a problem with the priority of some topics, which favor women who made little difference while leaving out more important religious figures in history.

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Summary: Zophy Distills the Essence of the Renaissance and Reformatio
Review: I had the pleasure of being in Dr. Zophy's Renaissance History Graduate Seminar during the time that he was writing this book. This gave me the opportunity to see the book in its prepublished state. Despite these prejudices in favor of the book, I can honestly say that Dr. Zophy's history of the Renaissance is the most readable and accessable overview of that period that I have found. His scholarship is above reproach and the organization of the book only serves to enhance its authority. Because Dr. Zophy is an excellent teacher, his focus in Dances Over Fire and Water is instructional. The addition of timelines and annotated bibliographies at the end of each chapter not only aid students in organizing the events of the Renaissance and Reformation, but provide a jumping off point for independent research. While Zophy covers the expected topics in Renaissance and Reformation history, he places special emphasis on the role of women in the arts and politics. The inclusion of women's history topics in a general text should help dispell the notion that women's history can somehow be separated from the history of western civilization and therefor trivialized. Zophy's excellent writing, sense of humor, and scholarship should make Dances Over Fire and Water a standard in graduate and undergraduate classes for years to come.

Rating:
Summary: Magnificent Work
Review: This book is well written by the instructor. It explains all the aspects of the German Anglo and Italian Mediterranean Cycles. This book contains many illustrations- Kings,Queens,Albrecht Durer, Luther, Pope Sixtus, and also Women Renaissance Reformation figures of the time. This work is clear and direct, a must for any historian or enthusiast reader

Rating:
Summary: Could clearly be better!
Review: Zophy has put together in one volume the essence of two earlier volumes, and unfortunately omits imporant information in doing so. He is fairly clear, and does well in treating the main issues and people of the era, but omits many important people (like Savonarola). Also, the index has a lot of false references! Nevertheless, it is a handy a helpful guide to this historical era; the chronological charts at the end of each chapter are very helpful.