Expanding Horizons

Fülszöveg

All the excitement and tension of a
world poised on the knife-edge of change is
brilliantly evoked in this volume. Expand-
ing Horizons portrays Europe emerging
from the cocoon of the Middle Ages into
the glories of the Renaissance. With lavish
illustrations and graphic documentation,
it chronicles an age when European man
thirsted for knowledge—knowledge of the
thoughts and deeds of those who went
before, knowledge of the world in which he
lived, and especially knowledge of what lay
beyond the uncharted and mysterious
oceans. It was a time of stunning deeds,
brilliant thoughts and unparalleled artistic
accomplishment. It was also a time of
brutal, cynical and self-serving politics.
The volume opens with the astonishing
victory over the French at Agincourt of
England's Henry V. It includes the last
triumph of medieval orthodoxy, the martyr-
dom ofjohn Huss, the "heretical" theologian
from Bohemia. The book then details the
great flowering of human knowledge... Tovább

Fülszöveg

All the excitement and tension of a
world poised on the knife-edge of change is
brilliantly evoked in this volume. Expand-
ing Horizons portrays Europe emerging
from the cocoon of the Middle Ages into
the glories of the Renaissance. With lavish
illustrations and graphic documentation,
it chronicles an age when European man
thirsted for knowledge—knowledge of the
thoughts and deeds of those who went
before, knowledge of the world in which he
lived, and especially knowledge of what lay
beyond the uncharted and mysterious
oceans. It was a time of stunning deeds,
brilliant thoughts and unparalleled artistic
accomplishment. It was also a time of
brutal, cynical and self-serving politics.
The volume opens with the astonishing
victory over the French at Agincourt of
England's Henry V. It includes the last
triumph of medieval orthodoxy, the martyr-
dom ofjohn Huss, the "heretical" theologian
from Bohemia. The book then details the
great flowering of human knowledge and
achievement, culminating in the work of the
incomparable Erasmus of Rotterdam.
Covering the years 1415 to 1516, Expand-
ing Horizons examines sixteen key events
that helped shape—or reflect the shape of—
the fifteenth-century world. Included are:
Michelangelo's painting of the Sistine
Chapel frescoes; the publication of the
Gutenberg Bible; the marriage of Ferdinand
and Isabella; the end of the once-mighty
Byzantine Empire; the "gathering together"
of Russia by Ivan III; the rise of the remark-
able Medici family in Florence. The "mile-
stones" are linked together by two-page
sections that summarize other historical
high points.
Included in the book are some 200 illustra-
tions, more than a third in full color. To-
gether with the text they provide a panor-
amic view of an age that saw more ferment
continued on back flap
continuedfrom front flap
and activity than any other—at least until
the present century—and help illuminate
the pageantry that ranges from the pomp
and glitter of the Burgundián court to the
daring artistic innovations of Italy and the
richness and mystery of Russia.
The essays, each of which was commissioned
especially for this book, were written by an
international panel of experts, all of whom
were selected for their ability to translate
scholarly material into lively, informative
essays. Among the contributors to this vol-
ume are John Julius Norwich, J. H. Parry,
Peter Earle, Christopher Frayling and
Jonathan Martin.
The Editor of this volume is Dr. Neville
Williams, Secretary of the British Academy.
He is a leading authority on English and
Continental history. Among Dr. Williams'
most recent books are Chronology of the Modern
World and Elizabeth, Queen of England.
Expanding Horizons is one of the books in
Newsweek's new multivolume series, Mile-
stones of History. Through a comprehen-
sive study of nearly two hundred "mile-
stones" of man's past, the volumes encom-
pass the entire sweep of history—from
decisive battles and treaties to develop-
ments in the arts—from momentous dis-
coveries to advances in science and tech-
nology. This beautifully illustrated library
forms a virtual encyclopedia of world
history. Vissza