The Borgias

By: Marion Johnson

Narrated by: Aviva Skell

It’s no wonder Machiavelli’s account of Césare Borgia in The Prince became one of the best-selling books in the 1980s business community. It’s full of practical hints on how to stab your adversary in the back while staring him in the face. The surprise is how many educated readers still believe that Lucrezia Borgia was the unrivaled monster of her age. That misconception is one of the myths Marion Johnson shatters in her excellent account of a 15th century Italian dynasty. Listeners who prefer contemporary biography will be surprised at how little political mores have really changed.

©1981 The Estate of Marion Johnson (P)1986 Recorded Books, LLC

Captivating

The Borgias was a captivating story of a family that came out of nowhere to rise to the heights of power in the church and what today is central Italy before fading away. The story and the presentation was so captivating, it made the drives to and from work go by so much faster.

Good story but narrator reads too quickly

I enjoyed learning about this phase of the papacy and the Borgias in particular. The only hitch in the book is the narrator reads too quickly which makes enjoying the book the less than wonderful experience it could be. The subject matter is thorough and well written. It's a shame about the narrator though.

So. Slow.

What disappointed you about The Borgias?

I'm interested in the idea of the Borgias, but this book is dry. I tried a couple of times, but I just can't get very far. It doesn't seem like all that much is actually known about the family, which may be part of the problem.