"General History of the World" after reading a note.
The advent of a great era never comes alone.
The first time I read this book was recommended by my history teacher in high school, if I want to further improve my history, I will go to the "General History of the World", which is often used for the stem of subjective historical questions.
A good historian should have no political stance. After reading the writing of historians and biographers because of their personal positions mixed with strong emotions, I feel how rare it is to have no political position. I can't do it, most people have good intentions for their homeland, and judge other countries for good or bad. Stavrianos, on the other hand, lives in the United States, where nationalism and patriotic education are rife, can do it. How did he get rid of his sense of national identity and love for his homeland?
Stavrianos keeps a distance from each country, and narrates it coldly and objectively without emotion, so that people are willing to trust it.
Stavrianos' description of the Reformation made me very curious about the history of religion, and how strange and ironic it is that religions that are supposed to warm the human soul are full of bloodshed, cruelty, and greed.
The Renaissance, the Reformation, the Age of Discovery, all revolve around the same theme: interests.
→ renaissance increased orders from merchants, and painters could create outside of religion, which had previously been the greatest patron of art.
The Great Navigation → brought more arable land and consumers, and the merchants obtained huge profits and invested in the arts.
The big era is coming, and everything is pushing the times forward.