The European Renaissance in American Life - Hardcover

Paul F. Grendler

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0275984869 ISBN 13: 9780275984861

Publisher: Praeger, 2006

Synopsis

An informative but light-hearted look at the popularity of the Renaissance today, this book was written by a Renaissance scholar intrigued with the way his subject continues to resonate outside the scholarly community. His purpose is to uncover and describe the many manifestations of America's love of the Renaissance. Why do millions don costumes to attend Renaissance Faires? Why do novels and films about the period enjoy continued popularity, as do Renaissance icons such as Elizabeth I, Michelangelo, Shakespeare and the Mona Lisa? How is it that American politicians and business leaders still look to Machiavelli as a symbol of wisdom-or of evil? Grendler posits that Americans embrace the Renaissance as a model of culture and sophistication, seeing it as confirmation that the individual can achieve greatness against long odds, a belief at the core of our own society. After an examination of The Real Renaissance (1400-1620), the book looks at ways in which Americans relive the experience (including Faires and Living Last Suppers), ways in which we re-create the Renaissance in our own world, and finally, ways in which the Renaissance is portrayed, for better or worse, in fiction and film.

About this title

Review:

"Intended for a general audience, this book examines how the term Renaissance is used in modern US culture and why it remains so popular with the general public. Grendler draws upon decades of experience as a professor, author, and editor to gently point out ways in which Michelangelo, Machiavelli, and the Medici are (mis)used by today's politicians, management gurus, filmmakers, and novelists. The introduction describes the real Renaissance as Grendler sees it (i.e., the movement from 1400 to 1620, beginning in Italy and celebrating achievements in art, education, poetry, and high culture), while the conclusion discusses the recent turn in the academy away from Renaissance in favor of early modern....Recommended. Public and undergraduate libraries." - Choice

"The opening pages offer a concise, well-presented summary of the period 1400-1620...a prelude to the rest of the book. If a faculty member needed to introduce the period quickly, these pages would do that job well." - Sixteenth Century Journal

"Americans like the Renaissance. So concludes distinguished Renaissance scholar Paul F. Grendler in this book every sholar should read. The European Renaissance in American Life is a work that in less sympathetic hands might have devolved into yet another satire of American middle-class, middle-brow, and middle-mind culture. In Grendler's hands, however, America's love affair with the Renaissance comes off as something more than whimsy, kitsch, or simple goofiness....[a]nd emerges as a challenge to those of us who toil daily at revealing, critiquing, deconstructing, or simply understanding the Renaissance....As far as it goes, Grendler's is a terrific book and a wonderful read." - Renaissance Quarterly

"For anyone wanting to be more observant and knowledgeable of the European Renaissance period's influence on today's society, this text is a wonderful read." - Smoke and Fire News

"Paul Grendler's book examines how and why the famous figures and icons of Renaissance Italy and Renaissance England resonate so well outside the scholarly community. He works hard to point out ways in which these modern interpreters beyond the ivory tower have used, or misused, the principal ideas and achievements of this era....The book should be useful to lower-level undergraduates and to adult students, and it will be amusing and thought-provoking to faculty and graduate students." - H-Italy

"Renaissance faires, costume parties, outdoor festivals, company names, Shakespeare movies, and a new love for the principles of Machiavelli are among the evidence American scholar of the Italian Renaissance Grendler cites for a renaissance of the Renaissance in the US over the past couple of decades. Before describing the recent incarnation, he summarizes the first Renaissance, from 1400-1620." - Reference & Research Book News/Art Book News Annual

Synopsis:

This book offers an informative, but light-hearted look at the popularity of the Renaissance in 19th- and 20th-century America. While most Americans have only vague notions as to the historical dates and details of the Renaissance (Europe between 1400 and 1600), a large portion find themselves attracted to various ideals, cultural legacies, or other connotations that the term brings to mind. Michelangelo, da Vinci, Shakespeare, and Machiavelli, are omnipresent in modern culture. From the "real" Renaissance, as depicted in literature and film, to renaissance as idea, Grendler explores the kinship that modern Americans feel with the period and the concept. They admire its creativity, beauty, and elegance, in a world that seems to be ever shorter on these qualities. Few historical periods contain so many easily recognized figures, and few historical terms are used so widely in modern culture. Today, Renaissance means rebirth and revival. It implies moving forward or making progress - concepts dear to the American psyche. It means personal hope and expectation. From business names to personal ads, the use of the term is pervasive.

Through an exploration of Renaissance Faires, Renaissance Weekends, and the practical application of Renaissance philosophy and ideas to daily life (think Machiavellian scheming, or "renaissance" men and women), Grendler shows how contemporary Americans have embraced the 16th century as a model of culture and sophistication.

About this edition

• Publisher: Praeger
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0275984869
• ISBN 13: 9780275984861
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 360