What Was the Renaissance?

What was...?

by Roberta Edwards, Who HQ

Discover all there is to know about the Renaissance, the period in history that took Europe from the Middle Ages to modern times!

Beginning in Italy, the Renaissance was a cultural movement that spread throughout Europe and affected art, science, technology, politics, and thought. From the 1300s to the beginning of the 1600s, scholars started to question what they knew and looked to literature and historical texts to develop new ideas for why things were the way they were. In just a short amount of time, the foundations for European life were uprooted and examined, leading people, including Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, to explore new ways of thinking and being. Readers will learn why the Reinassance was such a pivotal time in European history and how it still influences us.

Genres: Nonfiction

112 pages, Paperback

Published March 4, 2025

About the author

Roberta Edwards lives in New York, New York.

Reviews

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This little book is a bang for your buck full of history. It has a lot of information packed in. It has a pretty comprehensive yet understandable explanation of the entire Renaissance including artists, scientists, musicians and architects.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read-aloud with kids, Jan. '26

good overview of the renaissance

[Hailey Vittrup · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most redeeming quality of this book is the inclusion of Christianity. The book makes it clear that if God created the world (we know that He did), then He made the universe a special place. Art had its origins in the God the Creator, which isn’t expressly stated in this book, but Biblically inspired art is definitely discussed. I didn’t appreciate the mention of a type of art and timeline mention of a piece of literature that isn’t age appropriate for this audience.

[Alyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book in a gift store during my recent vacation in Florence, Italy, which made reading it even more meaningful. I appreciate how these books explain and simplify information for children and adults alike. It offered a great overview of the Renaissance period, and I especially enjoyed learning about the artists and thinkers who shaped that time. It helped me appreciate more what I was seeing.

[Suzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short history of the era by Listening Library. A good overview of a misunderstood period and the discovery of the an\Americans. Good to know Leonardo di Vinci was well groomed and Michalelangelo a slob.

[Moonshadow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative and a quick read.
When I want to learn something fast, whether it’s a person a building or history I go to whoHQ.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this overall, but it was very reminiscent of the previous biographies on da Vinci and Michelangelo.

[Greygirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

~5 Stars~ read to my dad and it was one of my favorites.

[X-F Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

Undoubtedly one of the best book in this series. A fascinating survey of the most pivotal period of world history and human civilization. An homage to the humanity’s intellect.