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24 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Christopher Hibbert is a very good popular historian who has covered a range of topics related to this book; such as Italian cities etc.. If you want a lively overview of the Borgias at the height of their powers then this is the book for you. There is inevitably some emphasis on the more 'tabloid', sensationalist aspects of the Borgias, but this is the popular perception of the family and Hibbert does have to consider a broad audience. He selects the key events you would expect, but in a very condensed fashion. If you are looking for more depth I would recommend Sarah Bradford's boigraphies of Lucrezia and Cesare Borgia over this book if I am honest, but that is because I wanted more detail, which isn't for everyone. Like Hibbert, these are 'popular' history books, which manage to dispell many of the Borgia myths, whilst still giving a fascinating and lively insight into the Borgia family.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
It needs to said at the start what sort of book this is and what it is not. It is a narrative, told very much in bitesize chunks, scattered with quotations from the original sources. It is not an analytical review of the period. It details the corruption in the catholic church during the late 15 and early 16th centuries, though never in a polemic way. Hibbert is always measured in his approach and where events are disputed or appear to have been created out of speculation, he is quick to say so and does not draw judgement on their veracity; this is mainly in relation to the rumours of incest. Though even if we set those aside, there is no room for doubt left that the reign of the Borgias was nepotistic, bloody, ruthless and fuelled by greed and lust.
The story is told in roughly chronological order, though as each chapter focuses on a different aspect of the history, there is a little jumping around, so there is no single timeline running throughout. Hibbert's scholarship is evident, though not totally transparent; while he states certain facts and at the end gives a list of further reading, the two are not married up, so that I was left frequently asking "where's the justification or the evidence for that statement" and Hibbert doesn't provide the answer. There is also a seeming lack of questions being asked. I was expecting more context and at attempt to understand the importance of the Borgias both at the time and their lasting on impact on catholicism, italian politics and the wider world; unfortunately there was none of this.
Instead, what we have is a step by step case of "this happened. Then this happened. Then this happened. And then this happened" whilst all the time leaving the reader to do all the analysis with only the narrative as a guide. So if you want a dispassionate narrative then this is the book for you. If you are interested in the impact and importance of the Borgias, then you are better off reading Machiavelli's The Prince. That said, this is a valuable resource and I would recommend it as part of any thorough reading of the history of the family and the period.
The story is told in roughly chronological order, though as each chapter focuses on a different aspect of the history, there is a little jumping around, so there is no single timeline running throughout. Hibbert's scholarship is evident, though not totally transparent; while he states certain facts and at the end gives a list of further reading, the two are not married up, so that I was left frequently asking "where's the justification or the evidence for that statement" and Hibbert doesn't provide the answer. There is also a seeming lack of questions being asked. I was expecting more context and at attempt to understand the importance of the Borgias both at the time and their lasting on impact on catholicism, italian politics and the wider world; unfortunately there was none of this.
Instead, what we have is a step by step case of "this happened. Then this happened. Then this happened. And then this happened" whilst all the time leaving the reader to do all the analysis with only the narrative as a guide. So if you want a dispassionate narrative then this is the book for you. If you are interested in the impact and importance of the Borgias, then you are better off reading Machiavelli's The Prince. That said, this is a valuable resource and I would recommend it as part of any thorough reading of the history of the family and the period.
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
OVERVIEW: I watched the recent (2011) mini-series on the Borgias as a guilty pleasure. However, I was aware of how fictionalised history is primarily entertainment and I wanted an accessible history of the real events: a Herodotus, not a Homer. I think this book provided it. I enjoyed reading it and would recommend it as a short introduction to the period.
THE BOOK: I cannot comment on the e-book version but as a physical book it is of a manageable size, but smaller than it seems. The book has generous line spacing giving 28 lines per page, which is less than many other paperbacks. Additionally, the chapters are numerous and short, 29 in all, plus 313 pages of text and 4 pages of suggested further reading. There is also an 8 page index. Unfortunately there are no maps or illustrations. There are no separate notes, but the text contains frequent quotations and their sources.
THE STORY: The story begins with pope Callixtus III, originally Alfonso de Borja, who appointed Rodrigo de Borja (Borgia in Italian) as a cardinal. This is a position Rodrigo acquired literally by nepotism as he was the nephew of Callixtus. The English word nepotism comes from the Italian "nepote" meaning nephew. In this case he really was the nephew and not the pope's son, as these appointments often were. Four popes later, the current pope dies and Rodrigo buys his way to the papacy. In this he seems simply to be better at his corruption than the other cardinals.
It continues with the story of Rodrigo and four of his children: Juan, Cesare, Lucrezia and Jofre. Juan is removed from the story early with his murder, possibly by his jealous elder brother Cesare, possibly not.
Rodrigo was hardly holy, but he was devoted to the Virgin Mary, as he was to many other women, less virginal. His devotion to a deity is unknown. He comes across a roguish monster, but a monster with redeeming features. He loves his family, is a capable administrator and a good politician.
Cesare seems to be merely a monstrous psychopath. Lucrezia, despite being called the "whore of Rome" comes across well. She is a reluctant victim of dynastic marriages but ends her life as the respected and much loved Duchess of Ferrara. Caesarea fares badly. When his father dies his fall from power is swift. Jofre moves into the background.
THE BOOK: I cannot comment on the e-book version but as a physical book it is of a manageable size, but smaller than it seems. The book has generous line spacing giving 28 lines per page, which is less than many other paperbacks. Additionally, the chapters are numerous and short, 29 in all, plus 313 pages of text and 4 pages of suggested further reading. There is also an 8 page index. Unfortunately there are no maps or illustrations. There are no separate notes, but the text contains frequent quotations and their sources.
THE STORY: The story begins with pope Callixtus III, originally Alfonso de Borja, who appointed Rodrigo de Borja (Borgia in Italian) as a cardinal. This is a position Rodrigo acquired literally by nepotism as he was the nephew of Callixtus. The English word nepotism comes from the Italian "nepote" meaning nephew. In this case he really was the nephew and not the pope's son, as these appointments often were. Four popes later, the current pope dies and Rodrigo buys his way to the papacy. In this he seems simply to be better at his corruption than the other cardinals.
It continues with the story of Rodrigo and four of his children: Juan, Cesare, Lucrezia and Jofre. Juan is removed from the story early with his murder, possibly by his jealous elder brother Cesare, possibly not.
Rodrigo was hardly holy, but he was devoted to the Virgin Mary, as he was to many other women, less virginal. His devotion to a deity is unknown. He comes across a roguish monster, but a monster with redeeming features. He loves his family, is a capable administrator and a good politician.
Cesare seems to be merely a monstrous psychopath. Lucrezia, despite being called the "whore of Rome" comes across well. She is a reluctant victim of dynastic marriages but ends her life as the respected and much loved Duchess of Ferrara. Caesarea fares badly. When his father dies his fall from power is swift. Jofre moves into the background.
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