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Cesare Borgia
Son of a Pope, inspiration to Machiavelli, patron of Da Vinci, and fearsome soldier; Cesare Borgia is one of the most infamous figures of Italian history.
This biography of the archetypal Renaissance prince should be essential reading for those who have enjoyed the works of Paul Strathern, Alexander Lee and Mary Hollingsworth.
Pope Alexander VI’s second son was groomed for a career in the Church, becoming a Cardinal by the age of just eighteen, but after the mysterious death of his older brother, Giovanni, he became the first person in history to resign the cardinalate in order to pursue a military career.
Cruel, brilliant, and dangerous, Cesare fascinated and terrified his contemporaries as he led the papal armies and mercenaries to subdue central Italy. With the support of his father and the French monarchy he seemed in an unassailable position, cutting down any who stood in his way, yet after his father’s death his numerous enemies rose up to force him from power.
The rise and fall of this astonishing figure is one of the most remarkable stories of Italian history. E. R. Chamberlin’s short biography of Cesare Borgia is the perfect introduction into the dark and dangerous world of the Renaissance.
This biography of the archetypal Renaissance prince should be essential reading for those who have enjoyed the works of Paul Strathern, Alexander Lee and Mary Hollingsworth.
Pope Alexander VI’s second son was groomed for a career in the Church, becoming a Cardinal by the age of just eighteen, but after the mysterious death of his older brother, Giovanni, he became the first person in history to resign the cardinalate in order to pursue a military career.
Cruel, brilliant, and dangerous, Cesare fascinated and terrified his contemporaries as he led the papal armies and mercenaries to subdue central Italy. With the support of his father and the French monarchy he seemed in an unassailable position, cutting down any who stood in his way, yet after his father’s death his numerous enemies rose up to force him from power.
The rise and fall of this astonishing figure is one of the most remarkable stories of Italian history. E. R. Chamberlin’s short biography of Cesare Borgia is the perfect introduction into the dark and dangerous world of the Renaissance.
112 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 4, 2022
41 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
E.R. Chamberlin
41 books29 followersEric Russell Chamberlin (1926-2006)
Historian and author. Chamberlin was the author of numerous popular history books ranging from ancient Rome to twentieth-century Britain. Although he was born in Jamaica, he returned to England with his father during the Great Depression. Chamberlin dropped out of school when he was fourteen and became an apprentice leather dresser.
When he was old enough, he eagerly left this work behind to enlist in the Royal Navy in 1944. He served in the military until 1947 and then found work at the Norwich Public Library. It was here that his real education began, and Chamberlin took advantage of his vocation by reading history texts avidly. He later also worked at the Holborn Public Library and then for the book division at Readers’ Digest.
His first book, The Count of Virtue: Giangaleazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan, was released in 1965. This would be followed by thirty more books over the next three decades. Among these are The Bad Popes (1969), The Sack of Rome (1979), The Nineteenth Century (1983), The Emperor, Charlemagne (1986), and The Tower of London: An Illustrated History (1989). Also active in historical preservation projects, Chamberlin helped rescue the Guildford Institute building from destruction in 1982 and had a monument to Admiral Horatio Nelson constructed on Mt. Etna in Italy.
For the former endeavor, Chamberlin was recognized with an honorary degree from the University of Surrey in 1982.
Historian and author. Chamberlin was the author of numerous popular history books ranging from ancient Rome to twentieth-century Britain. Although he was born in Jamaica, he returned to England with his father during the Great Depression. Chamberlin dropped out of school when he was fourteen and became an apprentice leather dresser.
When he was old enough, he eagerly left this work behind to enlist in the Royal Navy in 1944. He served in the military until 1947 and then found work at the Norwich Public Library. It was here that his real education began, and Chamberlin took advantage of his vocation by reading history texts avidly. He later also worked at the Holborn Public Library and then for the book division at Readers’ Digest.
His first book, The Count of Virtue: Giangaleazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan, was released in 1965. This would be followed by thirty more books over the next three decades. Among these are The Bad Popes (1969), The Sack of Rome (1979), The Nineteenth Century (1983), The Emperor, Charlemagne (1986), and The Tower of London: An Illustrated History (1989). Also active in historical preservation projects, Chamberlin helped rescue the Guildford Institute building from destruction in 1982 and had a monument to Admiral Horatio Nelson constructed on Mt. Etna in Italy.
For the former endeavor, Chamberlin was recognized with an honorary degree from the University of Surrey in 1982.
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July 25, 2024
2024 52 Book Challenge - 34) Set In A Landlocked Country
This was a quick and enjoyable read about Cesare Borgia, though it also covered his father and siblings. Because it was so short, it was hard to remember the various associated people, and in particular, I kept mixing up Charlotte and Carlotta.
This was a quick and enjoyable read about Cesare Borgia, though it also covered his father and siblings. Because it was so short, it was hard to remember the various associated people, and in particular, I kept mixing up Charlotte and Carlotta.
Displaying 1 of 1 review