“I have to be honest, it was not an easy read. Informative and interesting, very much. But at times, it was slow and very wordy. Well, it was written in 1912-ish so I have to consider the style during that time. I do like History and Historical Fiction – and lately, the Borgia family, so this was right up my alley.
The book talks about Cesare Borgia, his life, his work, and what was said about him. Sabatini quoted many Borgia historians whether they were pro- or anti-Borgia. At parts, the author praised Cesare Borgia’s appearance and wit. It took every contradiction to Cesare’s character like a grain of salt, giving him the benefit of the doubt. But the book itself never blatantly took sides. It never gave a piece of information that was not backed up by quotes or historical proof. The author did a great job compiling everything and making it concise.
It was new to me to read a book about the Borgias that did not dwell heavily on either Rodrigo or Lucrezia. Cesare Borgia is my favorite member of that family and he really was a fascinating man.
Rating: 3/5
Recommendation: If you are into the whole Renaissance era, this is a good book in your reference section. Majority of the Borgia books out there are about Lucrezia. This one is centered on Cesare, probably the leading book if you want to read about the man.”
Cate wrote this review Tuesday, January 31, 2012.
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