The late Bard Thompson was a professor at Drew University, where he taught a course in the Renaissance and Reformation. This book is a compilation of his lectures, refined and fleshed-out, complete with photos and full-color plates. If you've ever wanted to take a course in the history of the Renaissance and Reformation movements, Humanists and Reformers will go a long way toward making up for any missed opportunities.
Each chapter is presented in a straightforward, easily-digested style, with absorbing storytelling as well as bullet lists and summaries to help the student organize what he has learned. Throughout there are references to specific works of art represented in photographs and plates, and, while it's not quite as convenient as looking at the slide on your classroom screen as you listen to the lecture, it serves the purpose very well.
In addition, many chapters offer an "excursus" -- a slight digression from the topic into a significant historical figure, an artistic creation or some development of the Renaissance or Reformation. These detours enrich the book in the same way a tangent can enrich a conversation.
Thompson acknowledges the difficulty scholars have had in reaching any consensus concerning not only the dates of the Renaissance but some of its defining characteristics. Still, he manages to offer a reasonable set of parameters that serve as a viable starting point. While enormous attention is paid to the specifics of Renaissance art, architecture and philosophy, the impact of the Renaissance movement on the budding Reformation is thoroughly explored, as is the reverse, and the importance of the printing press in both movements is rightly stressed. The result is a lucid, eye-opening explication of the movements and how they progressed.
It is important to note that Thompson died in 1987, which makes his work 20 years old. No general history can cover every fact, nor can it remain unassailable once new research is done in the field. Yet Humanists and Reformers holds up extremely well, and still serves as a credible reference for the serious student, as well as a highly enjoyable introduction for the history buff.
Even the softcover edition of Humanists and Reformers is a hefty book that you won't want to carry with you much, unless you're looking for creative weight-training ideas. However, it is the kind of work you can take your time with, and come back to again and again.
