The century of Columbus

Between 1450 and 1550, James J. Walsh finds a concentration of achievement that challenges easy assumptions about steady historical progress. Published in 1914, this survey treats Columbus's era as a setting for accomplishments in painting, learning, medicine and public life. Its opening chapters turn to Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, considering artistic work alongside scientific interests and practical abilities.

Walsh writes for general readers who want intellectual and social history to fill out the familiar outline of political events. A section on women presents Isabella of Castile through her administration, support for education and connection with Columbus's undertaking. His admiration for the period shapes the account throughout. Readers interested in Renaissance culture can use the book both as a wide survey of people and institutions and as an example of how an early twentieth-century writer argued for the achievements of the past.