J H Plumb

This enormously influential book by three leading historians was a revolution in the understanding of commercialisation and the economy, entrepreneurship, innovation, and the consumer revolution. Neil McKendrick studies the fashion and the pottery industries, and created a new framework for enquiring into fundamental issues. John Brewer examines the commercialisation and politics. J. H. Plumb considers the social; changes brought about by commercialization, looking in particular at leisure, the `new world' of children, and the acceptance of modernity.

This enormously influential book by three leading historians was a revolution in the understanding of commercialisation and the economy, entrepreneurship, innovation, and the consumer revolution. Neil McKendrick studies the fashion and the pottery industries, and created a new framework for enquiring into fundamental issues. John Brewer examines the commercialisation and politics. J. H. Plumb considers the social; changes brought about by commercialization, looking in particular at leisure, the `new world' of children, and the acceptance of modernity.

Entertaining and informative, this definitive overview of the Italian Renaissance will both captivate ordinary readers and challenge specialistsDr. Plumb's impressive and provocative narrative is accompanied by contributions from leading historians, including Morris Bishop, J. Bronowski, Maria Bellonci, and many more, who have further illuminated the lives of some of the era's most unforgettable personalities, from Petrarch to Pope Pius II, Michelangelo to Isabella d'Este, Machiavelli to Leonardo. Spanning an age that witnessed great achievements in the arts and sciences, The Italian Rennaisance is a perfect introduction to the movement that shaped the Western world.

In this book, J. H. Plumb investigates the way that humankind has moulded the past to give sanction to their institutions of government, their social structure and morality. The past has also been called upon to explain the nature of our destiny in order both to strengthen the objectives of society and to reconcile us to our lot.