Collecting in one volume the classic and cutting-edge statements which define early modern scholarship as it is now practiced, this book is a one-stop indispensable resource for undergraduates and beginning postgraduates alike. Through a rich array of arguments by the world's leading experts, the Renaissance emerges wonderfully invigorated, while the suggestive shorter extracts, boxed questions and engaged editorial introductions give students the wherewithal and encouragement to do some reconceiving themselves.