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The Borgias
Clean pages, tight binding, clean boards, original dust jacket with small tear to rear, illustrated dust jacket over red cloth boards
352 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1972
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 18, 2017
This is not just a history of the Borgia family. It also paints a marvelous picture of Mediterranean Europe during the time of both Borgia popes. Rich in detail, it's an immensely entertaining read that will hold your attention.
July 1, 2021
Great historical book on not just The Borgias, but the Era they lived in, starting in a small town in Spain all the way to the papacy. Though I have tried to get my hand on all things Borgia, this book clearly highlights the decadence corruption and nepotism of the mid 15th and early 16 centuries in Rome and the Papal States. Seems that all one needed to be Pope was influence and money, lots and lots of money; no spiritual morals required. With the ascendence of two Borgia Popes, Callistus III and then his nephew, the infamous Alexander VI, we see how nepotism grew beyond anything ever seen before. Cardinal hats and kingdoms given out like candy to the highest bidder and to all family members, regardless of qualifications.
My favorite chapter was on the psycho Duke of Naples, Ferrante, who was completely insane! Not to give too much away, but this dude had dinner parties, with many of the dinner "guests" tortured and murdered and then their corpses sitting up at the table for the other (still living guests) to see what might befall them. I was like, whaaa what?!
What I realized while reading this book was that Savanarola was not that crazy mystic most believe he was, but someone who had the balls to call out the Catholic Church for all its abuse of power. He had no qualms about exposing the horrid truth to the people and paying with his life. Quite a courageous fellow in my view. He indirectly led to the schism in the church with the rise of Luther and the "protestors" who had had enough!
What is amazing is how so much happened during Alexander's reign: the official end of the Middle Ages, the beginning of the Renaissance, Christopher Columbus' trip to the New World, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Macchiavelli, the Protestant Reformation, etc...
My only qualm is that the author believes Alexander was actually a good pope overall!! Well, the others must truly have been the devil incarnate! Of course, his illegitimate children were notorious too, with Cesare taking the gold medal. But Lucrezia really has gotten a bad wrap down the ages and the writer does a good job in explaining how, like so many other rich young women, she was just a pawn used to fortify convenient alliances when needed and not another macchiavellian bitch.
Overall, very fascinating and, once again, makes me so glad I did not live back then! Now I want to re-read "The Prince".
My favorite chapter was on the psycho Duke of Naples, Ferrante, who was completely insane! Not to give too much away, but this dude had dinner parties, with many of the dinner "guests" tortured and murdered and then their corpses sitting up at the table for the other (still living guests) to see what might befall them. I was like, whaaa what?!
What I realized while reading this book was that Savanarola was not that crazy mystic most believe he was, but someone who had the balls to call out the Catholic Church for all its abuse of power. He had no qualms about exposing the horrid truth to the people and paying with his life. Quite a courageous fellow in my view. He indirectly led to the schism in the church with the rise of Luther and the "protestors" who had had enough!
What is amazing is how so much happened during Alexander's reign: the official end of the Middle Ages, the beginning of the Renaissance, Christopher Columbus' trip to the New World, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Macchiavelli, the Protestant Reformation, etc...
My only qualm is that the author believes Alexander was actually a good pope overall!! Well, the others must truly have been the devil incarnate! Of course, his illegitimate children were notorious too, with Cesare taking the gold medal. But Lucrezia really has gotten a bad wrap down the ages and the writer does a good job in explaining how, like so many other rich young women, she was just a pawn used to fortify convenient alliances when needed and not another macchiavellian bitch.
Overall, very fascinating and, once again, makes me so glad I did not live back then! Now I want to re-read "The Prince".
April 5, 2021
È di una precisione meravigliosa. Uno dei pochi libri sulla famiglia Borgia davvero fedele e preciso.
February 21, 2020
Mostly well-written and somewhat entertaining to read, but far too biased to be a sound historical source. For example, the author clearly dislikes Cesare and so takes any opportunity to disparage him in rather lurid terms ("demoniac" is a favorite), without ever actually providing a basis for his dislike. Not a very worthwhile read.
January 17, 2020
The Borgias are notorious. This book seeks to pull back the fiction and tell the rise and fall of the family. Overall, this was a solid, if dull history. Most of the book sought to disprove the more fantastical tales about the Borgias. It has an academic slant and doesn't rely on gossip. The cast of characters was dense and was hard to keep straight. The book seemed to be tailored to someone with background knowledge of Renaissance Italy. So, before diving in, I recommend reading Machiavelli's The Prince or Mario Puzo's The Family or something to help frame all the families and the quickly changing alliances.
May 18, 2011
A bit tough to read but all in all, love the history and the dynamics of the family was phenomenal!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews