Book info

• Title The Borgias and Their Enemies
• Author Christopher Hibbert
• Year 2008
• Genre History

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 Lucrezia Borgia, his daughter, whose husband was famously murdered by her brother, and that brother, Cesare, who served as the model for Niccolò Machiavelli's The Prince. Notorious for seizing power, wealth, land, and titles through bribery, marriage, and murder, the dynasty's dramatic rise from its Spanish roots to its occupation of the highest position in Renaissance society forms a gripping tale.

Thoughts

I’m gradually getting more and more interested in history books, the more I read the more I want to know. This was recommended to me a long, long time ago, and I’ve just got around to finishing it. On the one hand, it’s a good book, well-written and interesting. On the other hand, all the people within it are awful!

Tracking a period in 16th Century Italy, where the Borgia family dominated - becoming Pope, raising armies, taking over cities and dukedoms wherever possible - the book chronicles a generation or two of the family. There’s murder and incest, pillaging and backstabbing, and ultimately not a lot of redeeming features along the way.

It was good to read about the triumphs and tragedies, how everything unfolded and what life was like back then, but it was hard to get fully engaged when there were no sympathetic characters at all!

Rating: 3 / 5