In this comprehensive survey, William Hudson explores the forces responsible for bringing about the Renaissance, which he describes as the West's "transition from the medieval to the modern world."
Voyages of discovery, inventions, the revival of classical learning, and the advent of science contribute to the intellectual upheavals of this creative period, which are reflected in its literature and art. Hudson focuses on the one thread of continuity which he sees as both the seed and the fruit of this exciting era: the awakening of secular humanism and the emergence of the individual. This history gives the listener a lucid, perceptive analysis of the splendid Renaissance.
W. H. Hudson (1841–1922) was a professor of English literature at Stanford University and a staff lecturer in literature to the University Extension Board of the University of London. He was the author of An Introduction to the Study of Literature, Rousseau and Naturalism in Life and Thought, An Introduction to the Philosophy of Herbert Spencer, and many more.
Simon Vance is the critically acclaimed narrator of approximately 400 audiobooks, winner of 27 AudioFile Earphones Awards, and a 12-time Audie Award-winner. He won an Audie in 2006 in the category of Science Fiction and was named the 2011 Best Voice in Biography and History and in 2010 Best Voice in Fiction by AudioFile magazine. Vance has been a narrator for the past 25 years, and also worked for many years as a BBC Radio presenter and newsreader in London. Some of his best-selling and most praised audiobook performances include Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Hilary Mantel’s Bring Up the Bodies (an Audie award-winner), Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale, Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, Patrick O’Brian’s Master and Commander series (all 21 titles), the new productions of Frank Herbert’s original Dune series, and Rob Gifford’s China Road (an AudioFile 2007 Book of the Year). Vance lives near San Francisco with his wife and two sons.