Most people consider the Age of Reason or the Enlightenment as centered around the 18th century. But in this book it begins already in the mid-16th century with Elizabethan England. Moreover, the book only covers to the mid-17th century, so the title misleads considerably.

Rather than discussing any broader trends, this is a country by country look at what's happening, and within each country, a person by person look, as each ruler and notable from the arts and sciences is discussed, down to obscure poets one has never heard of.

For all that, the discussions are quite good. How does the poet fit into the general scheme, what were their best works, what are some excerpts of their work and so on.

But as a general history of the causes and effects of the Enlightenment it's a complete bust.