Historical Fictionistas discussion

Does anyone have recommendations for historical fiction or non-fiction about the Borgias? I just read Poison by Sara Poole, which was enjoyable but a bit light on details. I just requested The Scarlet Contessa by Jeanne Kalogridis, and I have Lucrezia Borgia and the Mother of Poisons, by Roberta Gellis. Any other suggestions welcome!

Lucrezia Borgia: Life, Love, and Death in Renaissance Italy - bio. I read it a number of years ago.

The Borgia Bride: A Novel was very juicy.

I've been trying to find Lucrezia Borgia and the Mother of Poisons for a long time without luck. Where did you request yours from? Library?

Have Poison, haven't read it yet. Read Borgia Bride last year, it was good.

I'm going to attempt to link to the book so I apologize if it doesn't work! For non-fiction, I recommend The Borgias and Their Enemies

The Plaidy books were Light on Lucrezia andMadonna of the Seven Hills. There is also Lucrezia Borgia: A Novel by John Faunce. I read it last year and it was good but not great. Also Lucrezia Borgia by Sarah Bradford.

The Family by Mario Puzo is excellent.

Thanks for all the suggestions! I read The Borgia Bride and enjoyed it (and yes, it was juicy!)

Gayle - The library I work in owns Lucrezia Borgia and the Mother of Poisons. If your local library doesn't have it, you could probably get it through interlibrary loan.

I did a fair bit of research on Lucrezia Borgia for my new novel Poison In The Blood: The Memoirs of Lucrezia Borgia, so as far as non-fiction goes, I'd recommend:

The Borgias (Celebrated Crimes) - more of a fun, scandal-centered take on the Borgia family by a great writer

The Life of Cesare Borgia by Rafael Sabatini - although its about her brother, it obviously has a lots of cross-over information about Lucrezia

The Borgias - very scholarly and rich in detail

Lucrezia Borgia: Life, Love, and Death in Renaissance Italy - probably the best and most readable bio on Lucrezia currently available. I like her portrayal of Lucrezia as a woman undeserving of her historical notoriety.

Lucrezia Borgia: A Study by Joan Haslip - quite an old and difficult to find book, but very concise and helpful

MBP,

Not sure if you know or not, but Showtime is planning a new series on the Borgias (called THE BORGIAS), starting early next year. They intend it to be a kind of successor to The Tudors. It stars Jeremy Irons as Pope Alexander VI. Derek Jacobi (from Cadfael) is in it too. Looks great to me -- I can't wait!