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.