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Shop nowThe Borgias and Their Enemies: 1431-1519
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Learn moreThe first major biography of the Borgias in thirty years, Christopher Hibbert's latest history brings to life the family and the world they lived in: the glittering Rome of the Italian Renaissance.
The name Borgia is synonymous with the corruption, nepotism, and greed that were rife in Renaissance Italy. The powerful, voracious Rodrigo Borgia, better known to history as Pope Alexander VI, was the central figure of the dynasty. Two of his seven papal offspring also rose to power and fame—his daughter Lucrezia and her brother Cesare, who murdered Lucrezia's husband and served as the model for Machiavelli's The Prince. The Borgias were notorious for seizing power, wealth, land, and titles through bribery, marriage, and murder. The story of the family's dramatic rise from its Spanish roots to the highest position in Italian society is an absorbing tale.
Christopher Hibbert (born Arthur Raymond Hibbert) MC (5 March 1924 – 21 December 2008), was an English writer, historian and biographer. He has been called “a pearl of biographers” (New Statesman) and “probably the most widely-read popular historian of our time and undoubtedly one of the most prolific” (The Times).
Hibbert was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and the author of many books, including The Story of England, Disraeli, Edward VII, George IV, The Rise and Fall of the House of Medici, and Cavaliers and Roundheads.
John Telfer, an Earphones Award–winning narrator, is an actor best known for playing the character of Willy Pettit in five seasons of Bergerac. He has appeared many times in various television dramas, while his parallel theatrical career has involved him in leading roles at the Bristol Old Vic, the Royal National Theatre, the Old Vic in London, and many regional theaters. He has made hundreds of radio broadcasts, and he plays the part of Alan, the vicar, in The Archers.
Reviews
“Simply unputdown-able.”
“[A] vivid chronicle of the notoriously corrupt Renaissance family…Hibbert ably traces the web of alliances through which the Spanish-born Alexander hoped to secure his hold on Italy and his family’s place in power.”
“Acclaimed British historian Hibbert’s latest work focuses on three members of the notorious Borgia family of Spain…The book is a heavily researched and generally engrossing account of a famous dynasty…[with] detailed descriptions of Renaissance life.”
“[A] straightforward, carefully researched narrative…Hibbert’s unsensationalized account of sensational material makes a fascinating read. Recommended for all public and college libraries.”
“The author recounts the exploits of the notorious crime family headed by Rodrigo Borgia, also known as Pope Alexander VI. Their savagery and ambition knew no bounds. John Telfer tells their story with frightening clarity. It could be argued that the Borgias were a product of their time, but they seem to be too evil, or too insane, even for the era of the Italian Renaissance. The infamous Lucrezia Borgia, whom history has branded a coldhearted killer, herein comes off the most innocent. Telfer manages to imbue the characters with humanity despite their flaws.”
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