In this, the fifth volume in the series "The Story of Civilization," Dr. Will & Ariel Durant have compiled a magnificent treatise covering the Italian Renaissance.
At over >720 pages, the reader will discover: The magnificent cities of Renaissance Italy (sovereign Florence, Pisa, Venice, etc.). The Great Artists such as Leonardo, Michelangelo, and more. The Great Medici family. Cesare Boria, the model for Machiavelli's master work "The Prince." Rome, briefly resurgent as the "capital of the world," until sacked by French and German mercenaries. And much, much more including plates and maps.
Although written to stand alone, or in the series, the Durants have created a smooth prose that is easily read and understood by both professional and layperson alike. Well done! The prospective reader would do well to purchase this book. I rate it as five stars as part of the Durants authoritative historical Magnum Opus!