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The Borgias
- The Hidden History
- Narrated by: Enn Reitel
- Length: 19 hrs and 58 mins
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Publisher's summary
The startling truth behind one of the most notorious dynasties in history is revealed in a remarkable new account by the acclaimed author of The Tudors and A World Undone. Sweeping aside the gossip, slander, and distortion that have shrouded the Borgias for centuries, G. J. Meyer offers an unprecedented portrait of the infamous Renaissance family and their storied milieu.
The Borgias
They burst out of obscurity in Spain not only to capture the great prize of the papacy, but to do so twice. Throughout a tumultuous half-century - as popes, statesmen, warriors, lovers, and breathtakingly ambitious political adventurers - they held center stage in the glorious and blood-drenched pageant known to us as the Italian Renaissance, standing at the epicenter of the power games in which Europe’s kings and Italy’s warlords gambled for life-and-death stakes.
Five centuries after their fall - a fall even more sudden than their rise to the heights of power - they remain immutable symbols of the depths to which humanity can descend: Rodrigo, the Borgia who bought the papal crown and prostituted the Roman Church; Cesare, the Borgia who became first a teenage cardinal and then the most treacherous cutthroat of a violent time; Lucrezia, the Borgia as shockingly immoral as she was beautiful. These have long been stock figures in the dark chronicle of European villainy, their name synonymous with unspeakable evil.
But did these Borgias of legend actually exist? Grounding his narrative in exhaustive research and drawing from rarely examined key sources, Meyer brings fascinating new insight to the real people within the age-encrusted myth. Equally illuminating is the light he shines on the brilliant circles in which the Borgias moved and the thrilling era they helped to shape, a time of wars and political convulsions that reverberate to the present day, when Western civilization simultaneously wallowed in appalling brutality and soared to extraordinary heights. Stunning in scope, rich in telling detail, G. J. Meyer’s The Borgias is an indelible work sure to become the new standard on a family and a world that continue to enthrall.
Critic reviews
"A vivid and at times startling reappraisal of one of the most notorious dynasties in history.... If you thought you knew the Borgias, this book will surprise you." (Tracy Borman, author of Queen of the Conqueror and Elizabeth’s Women)
"The Borgias is a fascinating look into the lives of the notorious Italian Renaissance family and its reputation for womanizing, murder and corruption. Meyer turns centuries of accepted wisdom about the Borgias on its head, probing deep into contemporary documents and neglected histories to reveal some surprising truths.... The Borgias: The Hidden History is a gripping history of a tempestuous time and an infamous family." (Shelf Awareness)
"Meyer brings his considerable skills to another infamous Renaissance family, the Borgias [and] a fresh look into the machinations of power in Renaissance Italy.... [He] makes a convincing case that the Borgias have been given a raw deal." (Historical Novels Review)
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Both entertaining and scholarly
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By: Catherine Hanley
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Absolute Monarchs
- A History of the Papacy
- By: John Julius Norwich
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 18 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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With the papacy embattled in recent years, it is essential to have the perspective of one of the world's most accomplished historians. In Absolute Monarchs, John Julius Norwich captures nearly 2,000 years of inspiration and devotion, intrigue and scandal. The men (and maybe one woman) who have held this position of infallible power over millions have ranged from heroes to rogues, admirably wise to utterly decadent.
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A relentless succession of very old men
- By Nassir on 11-01-11
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Antony & Cleopatra
- By: Adrian Goldsworthy
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 17 hrs and 13 mins
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In this remarkable dual biography of the two great lovers of the ancient world, Adrian Goldsworthy goes beyond myth and romance to create a nuanced and historically acute portrayal of his subjects, set against the political backdrop of their time. A history of lives lived intensely at a time when the world was changing profoundly, this audiobook takes listeners on a journey that crosses cultures and boundaries, from ancient Greece and ancient Egypt to the Roman Empire.
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Very good
- By Kdmd on 02-23-16
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Isabella
- The Warrior Queen
- By: Kirstin Downey
- Narrated by: Kimberly Farr
- Length: 21 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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An engrossing and revolutionary biography of Isabella of Castile, the controversial Queen of Spain who sponsored Christopher Columbus's journey to the New World, established the Spanish Inquisition, and became one of the most influential female rulers in history.
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Poorly narrated
- By Amazon Customer on 02-23-15
By: Kirstin Downey
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King John
- Treachery and Tyranny in Medieval England: The Road to Magna Carta
- By: Marc Morris
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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King John is familiar to everyone as the villain from the tales of Robin Hood - greedy, cowardly, despicable, and cruel. But who was the man behind the legend? Was he a monster or a capable ruler cursed by bad luck? In this new book, best-selling historian Marc Morris draws on contemporary chronicles and the king's own letters to bring the real King John vividly to life. John was dynamic, inventive, and relentless but also a figure with terrible flaws.
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Interesting, but confusing
- By mkl929 on 08-09-21
By: Marc Morris
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Edward III
- The Perfect King
- By: Ian Mortimer
- Narrated by: Alex Wyndham
- Length: 19 hrs and 32 mins
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Holding power for over 50 years starting in 1327, Edward III was one of England's most influential kings and one who shaped the course of English history. Revered as one of the country's most illustrious leaders for centuries, he was also a usurper and a warmonger who ordered his uncle beheaded. A brutal man, to be sure, but also a brilliant one.
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Great book about Edward III
- By Kiesha on 07-05-16
By: Ian Mortimer
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Crown & Sceptre
- A New History of the British Monarchy, from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II
- By: Tracy Borman
- Narrated by: Tracy Borman
- Length: 20 hrs and 16 mins
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Since William the Conqueror, duke of Normandy, crossed the English Channel in 1066 to defeat King Harold II and unite England’s various kingdoms, 41 kings and queens have sat on Britain’s throne. “Shining examples of royal power and majesty alongside a rogue’s gallery of weak, lazy, or evil monarchs,” as Tracy Borman describes them in her sparkling chronicle, Crown & Sceptre.
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Great book for those new to the monarchy
- By Chris Corsini on 04-05-22
By: Tracy Borman
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The Women of the Cousins' War
- The Duchess, the Queen and the King's Mother
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- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
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In her essay on Jacquetta, Philippa Gregory uses original documents, archaeology and histories of myth and witchcraft to create the first-ever biography of the young duchess who was to survive two reigns and two wars to become the first lady at two rival courts. David Baldwin, established author on the Wars of the Roses, tells the story of Elizabeth Woodville, the first commoner to marry a king of England for love, and Michael Jones, fellow of the Royal Historical Society, writes of Margaret Beaufort, the almost-unknown matriarch of the House of Tudor. The Women of the Cousins’ War will appeal to all.
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Great book
- By Stacey Wallace on 11-14-11
By: Philippa Gregory, and others
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Scandinavia
- A History
- By: Ewan Butler
- Narrated by: Matthew Lloyd Davies
- Length: 6 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, award-winning historian Ewan Butler writes, struggled through unions and separations with both outsiders and each other, developing their own personalities and languages yet retaining their ancient connections.
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Excellent History of Scandinavia after the Vikings
- By Arthur on 05-05-17
By: Ewan Butler
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Imprudent King
- A New Life of Philip II
- By: Geoffrey Parker
- Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
- Length: 18 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Story
Philip II is not only the most famous king in Spanish history, but one of the most famous monarchs in English history: the man who married Mary Tudor and later launched the Spanish Armada against her sister Elizabeth I. This compelling biography of the most powerful European monarch of his day begins with his conception (1526) and ends with his ascent to Paradise (1603), two occurrences surprisingly well documented by contemporaries. Eminent historian Geoffrey Parker draws on four decades of research on Philip as well as a recent, extraordinary archival discovery - a trove of 3,000 documents in vaults in New York City....
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Great, but I jumbled
- By Missee on 03-18-19
By: Geoffrey Parker
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Lancaster and York
- The Wars of the Roses
- By: Alison Weir
- Narrated by: Maggie Mash
- Length: 22 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Lancater and York is a riveting account of the Wars of the Roses, from beloved historian Alison Weir. The war between the houses of Lancaster and York was characterised by treachery, deceit, and bloody battles. Alison Weir's lucid and gripping account focuses on the human side of history. At the centre of the book stands Henry VI, the pious king whose mental instability led to political chaos, and his wife Margaret of Anjou, who took up her arms in her husband's cause and battled in a violent man's world.
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Dense, fascinating history...questionable delivery
- By kbreezy on 10-04-17
By: Alison Weir
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The Normans
- From Raiders to Kings
- By: Lars Brownworth
- Narrated by: James C. Lewis
- Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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In The Normans, Lars Brownworth follows their story, from the first shock of a Viking raid on an Irish monastery to the exile of the last Norman Prince of Antioch. In the process, he brings to vivid life the Norman tapestry's rich cast of characters: figures like Rollo the Walker, William Iron-Arm, Tancred the Monkey King, and Robert Guiscard. The Normans presents a fascinating glimpse of a time when a group of restless adventurers had the world at their fingertips.
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Norsemen in Palermo
- By Jim on 02-23-15
By: Lars Brownworth
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The very name Lucrezia Borgia conjures up everything that was sinister and corrupt about the Renaissance: incest, political assassination, papal sexual abuse, poisonous intrigue, unscrupulous power grabs. Yet, as best-selling biographer Sarah Bradford reveals in this breathtaking new portrait, the truth is far more fascinating than the myth.
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Could have been better....
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“No one believed I was destined for greatness.” So begins Isabella’s story, in this evocative, vividly imagined novel about one of history’s most famous and controversial queens - the warrior who united a fractured country, the champion of the faith whose reign gave rise to the Inquisition, and the visionary who sent Columbus to discover a new world. Acclaimed author C. W. Gortner envisages the turbulent early years of a woman whose mythic rise to power would go on to transform a monarchy, a nation, and the world.
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Excellent historical fiction!
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What listeners say about The Borgias
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- Troy
- 10-24-14
Mind-Blowing!
The author postulates the idea that the legend of the Borgias has trumped scholarship for the last 500 years, and that the real story is far more interesting. That's always a great setup for a good narrative history, isn't it? If any family in history has been the recipient of bad press, it's the Borgia family. Corruption, blackmail, incest... the crimes perpetuated in the Borgia name know no bounds, made more sensational by the fact that the guy pulling the strings sat on the Papal throne. But is that reputation deserved?
Meyer did such a great job tackling the Tudor dynasty, I couldn't help but be drawn to this one. Admittedly, almost every text I've ever read on the Borgias fits the stereotype of what the author describes as the problem, and I do find his scholarship to be fascinating in the extreme. The book is so carefully laid out that the political backdrop for Rodrigo's rise to power takes up the first 8 hours out of a 20 hour presentation. It's so intricate by comparison of nearly everything else in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and yet so easy to follow with Meyer's expert guidance. It makes me wish I had this book years ago when I first dipped my toes into Renaissance history. Once the dominoes are put in place, the Papal crown is placed on Rodrigo's head, and from there more dominoes are put into place every bit as fast as the ones in play start falling. It's easy to understand why this is one of those stories that gets out of control quickly.
The Borgias may never escape their legend, but Meyer's account truly is compelling, starting with the claim, supported by recently uncovered Vatican records, that Rodrigo was elected pope fair and square, unanimously. This is the sort of spin you'll find here, and the story only unfolds from there, systematically dispelling myths and verifying truths one by one. If I were making a wish list, I would want Meyer to give us companion volumes for the Medici and Sforza lines. Such tales naturally intersect and are touched upon here, but the Borgia focus of the book does taper the narrative point of view a little bit. That's probably for the best since the total story from all sides would probably be a massive rodent killer of a book. Even so, I want that book. This one is a great start.
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- WGH
- 09-06-22
One of the most fascinating history books in a long time.
A complete revision of the popular cliches on the Borgias and a magisterial immersion into Renaissance Italy. Extremely well written and fascinating from the first to the last page.
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- Ulrich Honemeyer
- 05-13-23
Prejudice revised
This deep and carefully researched insight into power struggles of the 15th century Italy and Europe and the involvement of the Borgias does away with sensationalism, unfounded prejudices and rumors. After listening one recognizes once again how quickly collective judgement follows the wrong lead…
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- Barry
- 12-17-13
Absolutely nothing wrong with this audiobook
Where does The Borgias rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
This audiobook is excellent in every respect. Its a GJ Meyer book, so the narrative style is spellbinding. I have listened to his other books as well, e.g. The World Undone and The Tudors, and his book on the Borgias is just as enjoyable.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Borgias?
GJ Meyer turns the entire sprawling anti-Borgia conspiracy on its head. This is sorely needed revisinist history, delivered in a very enjoyable fashion.
What does Enn Reitel bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
I dont really notice the narrator - that's how good he is. He just fades into the background, which makes for a great audiobook.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes.
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23 people found this helpful
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- RAMON
- 04-09-20
Good History, Good storytellingt
This is more than a history of the Borgias. It is also tells the story of the 15th Century papacy and the Italian wars. It is very entertains and well researched.
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1 person found this helpful
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- kristen
- 07-17-19
Not thrilling
Boring in regards to the history of the borgias, but interesting in regards to renaissance Italy. Certainly reading a Borgia history focused on scandal and murder and incest would have been more interesting, but this history seemed to take a more realistic or at least more grounded approach.
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- G. Lynn
- 12-12-20
Thorough and Fascinating
I loved the background sections at the end of each chapter. They are like bonus history lessons that provide more context.
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- Augustus T. White
- 09-23-13
The Borgias in a mirror
This is a really nice history of the Borgias, combining lots of crunchy background details with intriguing ideas about the key players. As others have pointed out, this is mainly a defense of the Borgias.
Of course, nobody can make saints out of any of the families that played the power game in Renaissance Italy. Meyer's approach is simply to ask the valid question, "let's just assume that the Borgias were, generally, not monsters -- but just the normal sort of power-hungry egomaniacs who rose to power in that time and place? Can that theory be made consistent with the actual historical record?"
The answer seems to be yes ... or sort of ... more or less. Meyer quite properly rejects the usual fables about incest, orgies, sadism, and the 50 other shades of really, really dark grey which usually pass for historical facts about the Borgias. On the other hand, he can still only make sense of the Borgias by uncritically accepting all the other fables and stereotypes of all the other leading characters of the time, from the Ottomans to the Sforzas. Even then, Cesare comes off looking rather psychotic (but neither depraved nor foolish).
So, draw your own conclusion on the thesis. The book -- right or wrong -- seems to be a successful attempt to walk the line between fairly serious scholarship and entertainment
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8 people found this helpful
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- Lindsey
- 02-20-15
Amazing
Well researched, engaging and interesting new perspective on fascinating time in history. Well narrated as well, which enhances story. Demands your full attention
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1 person found this helpful
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- Brad
- 02-16-17
Enjoyed learning!
I genuinely enjoyed listening to this book. After watching a few different TV series about the Borgia's it was nice to hear some actual facts and learn more about this time.
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