The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance and Forty Years that Shook the World, 1490-1530 examines the world-altering developments that propelled Western European culture into the age of globalization: the print revolution, mass taxation, exploitive colonization, gunpowder warfare and sectarian religious conflict. Structured around narrative sketches of nine individual lives, The Verge is one of those rare books that captivates as it informs.

Patrick Wyman received his Ph.D. in History from the University of Southern California in 2016. Since then, he has made a successful career as a public historian, launching the immensely popular podcasts, Tides of History and The Fall of Rome. Wyman's work has appeared in The Washington Post, the Bleacher Report, Deadspin, and other media outlets.

How it works:

Our Public Books Circle meets online one Wednesday a month and is free and open to the public. Each of our sessions is led by a UT professor, and everyone is welcome to add their voice to the discussion!

• Register for the book discussion meeting by clicking on the registration link below (you'll be sent a confirmation email with your own unique link to the discussion)
• Buy a copy of the book (Union Ave Books in downtown Knoxville will be happy to handle your order unionavebooks.com)
• Read, enjoy, and join the book discussion online on the date of the event!

Robert Bast is associate professor of history at UT-Knoxville. He studies religious culture in medieval and early modern Europe, with special interests in late-medieval and Reformation Germany. A two-time Fulbright Fellow, he has also received some of the University of Tennessee’s highest honors, including the Jefferson Prize, the Faculty Academic Outreach Award, and the National Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Teaching. He is a founding member of the Marco Institute for Medieval and Renaissance Studies and served as its inaugural director.

Free and open to the public, but registration is required.