Arc received through NetGalley.

This made me realize how little I know about the Renaissance. I know the very basics but not much else. And it did influence my enjoyment of this book, I found myself confussed quit often because I wasn't all that familiar with some of the terms, events and people. I think that when you already have an interest in the Renaissance this will work better for you then it did for me. I had also hoped it would delve deeper into how the idea of a 'Golden Age' like the Renaissance was used throughout history, but it didn't really discuss that in detail.

Honestly, no notes - more non-fiction like this please.

Palmer 100% achieved what she set out to do with this book which was to pull back the curtain on a supposedly golden age. Palmer's approach to this though made this a thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable journey through the renaissance via some of it's key cities, people and ideas.

Never once did I find myself confused and I appreciated the fun callbacks that helped keep numerous people/events straight throughout. The comparison of the time line to that of the 20th/21st centaury really was an eye opener to how vast this period!

A must have for anyone interested in this era and its ideas and will for sure become a reference text for me!

Inventing the Renaissance was a highly engaging romp through Renaissance history that managed to be both informative and entertaining at once, with the author referencing everything from Plato to Batman and Assassin's Creed. Some of the nicknames she gave the historical figures were so catchy I don't think I'll ever forget them (Battle Pope 2!) and they helped, too, in keeping characters straight in your mind as you read, considering the number of repeating first names among the major players (notably the Popes). It was fascinating to see how many of our perceptions about the Renaissance stem from later centuries, and the author offered some interesting new perspectives on events I had thought I already knew well. Despite its length, this book remained captivating throughout save, for me at least, a slight lull in Part IV with the lengthy discussion on humanism. If you are a history fan, it's definitely worth a read, especially since it combines perfectly a compelling narrative with academic rigour. I am giving it 4.5 stars.

This was long so I'll keep it short. This is how you write history nonfiction. There wasn't a dull moment, or a section I couldn't wait to get through, whether it was about people, events, ideas or concepts. It was fun, broad and yet easy to follow, and wonderfully supplemented the mind numbing renaissance art history class I just took. No notes, I hope Palmer writes a book for every topic I'm interested in.

Thank you to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for this ARC.

I had a difficult time with this book. It looks at the idea of the renaissance in Europe and how it is viewed as a golden age but sort of takes down this idea and shows it to be different. The book was witty and humorous whilst also being intelligent and informative, however I think I didn’t truly understand what the book was trying to say, but I think that’s completely on me. I’m sure for someone else this book would resonate but I found it confusing and at times hard to understand, However, I did enjoy though beginning to rethink the idea of golden ages and how we think of the possibilities of the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for the digital ARC it has not affected my honest review.

Normally I adore books like this because the Renaissance is my favourite period in history and I love getting to dive deep into the era. However I really struggled with how the book jumped around time periods and also the voice of the author was too informal for me.