Recommended Reading: Nonfiction


The Renaissance is an extremely popular time period, and there is a lot of very readable and informative popular history books that are readily available, ready to give more details about any topic in which you are interested. There are books about the artists, the politicians, the warriors, the famous men and women; there are more specialised works about different aspects of society. (An article about shopping, inspired by one of these books, is coming down the pipeline!) In addition, modern travel writing can be very good for talking about the feel of a place, what the most important locations are, and giving an overview of the history and personalities. I am not going to touch on those topics because there's far too much out there! Instead, these are my favourite overviews of the entire Renaissance.


Renaissance in Europe
The Renaissance in Europe by Margaret L. King

This book is intended to be an introductory textbook for university students or just those who are interested in the topic. It is divided into different themes, and uses primary sources and illustrations to help give an overview of the entire period.










Image result for a concise Encyclopedia of the italian renaissance A Concise Encyclopaedia of the Italian Renaissance edited by J. R. Hale




This is one of the first books that I got for Dragon Princes, and it's still probably the one I use the most. If I need to check about magic, or monasteries, or music, this book will give me a good overview of the topic.








Renaissance People: Lives That Shaped The Modern World by R. C. Davies and Beth Lindsmith

 Nearly a hundred important historical figures from the Renaissance, this book can give good inspiration for PCs and NPCs. Was Filippo Brunelleschi's use of perspective actually the result of an illusionist mage making images literally come to life? Could Catena inspire the next villain for your campaign? A wonderful book.

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