This book has a lot of good information and some interesting passages but at times it seems more like a collection of notes than an organized volume. There are statements that the author intends you to accept as fact but he does not always supply a lot of supporting information. John J. Murray received honors for his work and certainly I have seen nothing else like it. There had to be something very special about Antwerp in the 1500s. The city and surrounding areas were a haven of learning and tolerance in the turmoil of the reformation. It is wonderful that this snapshot of a time and place was chronicled by someone who understood the importance of it. The people and culture of Antwerp had a great and transforming influence on history and the western world that has largely been forgotten. ( )