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Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia: Brother & Sister of History's Most Vilified Family Kindle Edition

by Samantha Morris (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 42 ratings
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This myth-busting biography reveals the fascinating true lives of Renaissance Italy’s most infamous brother and sister.

Salacious rumors have shrouded the Borgia family for centuries. In particular, tales of murder and incest have stuck to the names of Cesare and Lucrezia. But in this enlightening biography, Samantha Morris separates fact from fiction, presenting these two fascinating individuals from their early lives, through their years at the Vatican and their untimely deaths.

Morris begins her narrative in the bustling metropolis of Rome, where the siblings were caught up in the dynastic plans of their father, Pope Alexander VI. Though they were not the villains depicted in popular media, their intertwined lives were full of ambition, intrigue, and danger. Drawing on both primary and secondary sources, Morris follows Cesare through his cardinalship and military career, and Lucrezia through her multiple arranged marriages and her rule over Spoleto.
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  1. Print length
    200 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Pen & Sword History
  5. Publication date
    December 28, 2020
  6. File size
    30904 KB
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Samantha Morris is a noted expert on the history of the Borgias. Samantha studied archaeology at the University of Winchester where her interest in the history of the Italian Renaissance began. She is the author of 'Cesare Borgia: In a Nutshell' and 'Girolamo Savonarola: The Renaissance Preacher'. She also runs the website theborgiabull.com.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09B28C2KY
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pen & Sword History (December 28, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 28, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 30904 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 200 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 42 ratings

About the author

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Samantha Morris

Samantha Morris

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Samantha Morris studied archaeology at the University of Winchester where her interest in the history of the Italian Renaissance began. Since graduating University, her interest in the Borgia family has grown to such an extent that she is always looking for new information on the subject as well as fighting against the age-old rumours that haunt them. Her first published book is Cesare Borgia in a Nutshell, a brief biography which aims to dispel the myths surrounding a key member of the Borgia family. She runs the popular Borgia website https://theborgiabull.com/

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
42 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Kathleen May
5.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2021
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This book is short and to the point. Well written and full of information.
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S. Warfield
4.0 out of 5 stars Quite interesting and well-written
Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2021
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This account of Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia by Samantha Morris sets out to dispel the rumors and myths about the supposed incestuous relationship between this brother and sister who lived during the Italian Renaissance. The book concentrates more on Cesare's life than on Lucrezia's, but it sheds a much better light on the life and values of Lucrezia than I remember hearing about years ago. Morris explains that the relationship between a brother and sister can be very close without the complication of incest. Lucrezia's devastation after Cesare's death doesn't point to improper behavior, only her sadness and sense of loss of a beloved brother.

Cesare's story is extremely interesting because of his military accomplishments. He was a good strategist, but I was surprised at his trust in people who set him up. He believed in promises that I thought he would have been very suspicious of at the time due to his experience .

The book is well-written and easy to read and has a good bibliography. Samantha Morris's books, and this one in particular, have inspired an interest in Italian history for me. It also gives a look into the papacy at this time in history. It is a very interesting, informative and inspiring book.
5 people found this helpful
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Jo Wyrick
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!
Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2021
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This was a very well researched, well written biography of Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia. I found it extremely helpful.
One person found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars The Borgias are fascinating.
Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2021
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Endlessly interesting family.
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OlgaNM
5.0 out of 5 stars A balanced account of two fascinating historical figures
Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2021
I thank Rosie Croft, from Pen & Sword, for providing me a hardback early copy of this book, which I freely chose to review.
I have long been fascinated by the Borgias, (Borja). Partly, I guess, because they were a Spanish family (dynasty?); partly, because the legend surrounding them (Pope Alexander VI and his even more infamous children, Cesare and Lucrezia) is so full of colour and extreme and criminal behaviours, that they sound much bigger than life, characters that if we came across them in a work of fiction we’d say they were too unbelievable. Writers of extreme thrillers and horror would have to push their creative buttons to the maximum come up with characters such as those.
I’d always wondered how much of what was said about them was true, and of that, how many of those behaviours were unusual or unexpected in the period. XV century Europe was not a particularly peaceful and enlightened place, and being powerful and rich conferred a lot more license to the individuals than it does nowadays (not that these days it is something to be ignored either, as we all know, but the social differences were abysmal at the time). When I saw Morris’s book, I couldn’t resist, and she does a great job of answering many of my doubts and trying to be as comprehensive and fair as possible when studying the lives and reputations of those two historical figures.
Morris starts (after the acknowledgements) by an introduction where she explains her interest and her reasons for writing this book, a labour of love, as she has studied the period, written other books, and keeps a regular blog about the Italian Renaissance, and the Borgias in particular. She explains that there is plenty of misinformation and rumours that have been shared and repeated, both in academic/historical sources, and also in popular literature and entertainment, and she is at pains to put this right.
She follows a chronological order in telling the lives of the Borgias, starting with a chapter on the background family history, and she then dedicates the rest of the book to the close family, focusing on the interaction of the father with his sons and daughter, but mostly on the lives of the two siblings, Cesare and Lucrezia.
The author does a great job of explaining the sources of her information, always distinguishing rumour (even when this rumour came from the era when the events took place) from fact, as far as the available sources allow. She also provides a good insight into the usual social behaviour of the era and the political struggles between the different actors, all trying their best to push their interests and ally themselves with whomever might best serve those at any given time. Betrayal is rife, allies changed at the drop of a hat, and there was much envy and prejudice against the Borgia family, as they were outsiders who had quickly risen to power in Italy, as Morris points out.
That does not mean that Pope Alexander or Cesare were harmless individuals. They schemed, they fought, and they killed, for sure, although perhaps not to the extent they were credited with, and probably not to a degree that differed from others in similar circumstances at that time. Machiavelli didn’t focus on Cesare Borgia in his book The Prince for nothing, that much is evident. Yet, in addition to his most cruel and atrocious behaviours, his reputation seems to have been darkened further by allegations and accusations unfounded and unproven. And yet, these have survived to this day.
The Lucrezia Borgia we discover in these pages is a woman who was manipulated and used by her father (and brother, to a lesser extent) as a way of gaining more influence and power (when she was very young, as was the norm at the time), who had little saying on the matter, and who later had to endure illness, traumatic losses, continuous pregnancies, miscarriages, and absent husbands, while looking after territories and properties she was left in charge of. It seems she was beloved by the inhabitants, she was good at defending the interests of her husband and the people of Ferrara, and she was pious and a fervent Catholic. She seems to have been close to her brother, but the rumours of incest seem unwarranted, and she was ill treated by her husbands, often seeking refuge in convents. The author often quotes letters and documents written by the protagonists, and I must admit I like the sound of Lucrezia, and although Cezare wasn’t a “nice and good” person by any stretch of the imagination, I can see why somebody like Machiavelli would have taken him as subject of study. Boring, he was not.
The book also includes illustrations, a solid bibliography, and detailed notes, although this should not put people off, as the writing style is accessible, and people without specialised historical knowledge of the era will have no problem reading it. The author also talks about the depictions of the Borgias in popular culture and includes recommendations about the best and most historically accurate documentaries, movies, series, books, and novels, and this will prove very useful to those of us who want to learn more, but don’t want to waste our time with poorly sourced materials.
As I am not an expert on the subject, I cannot compare this book with others published before, but I found it a good entry point for people interested in finding out if the Borgias’ reputation is warranted, and to read about that fascinating period of history. It is a balanced account of the biography of these two figures, and I recommend it to readers who want to go beyond the titillation and excess that has surrounded their reputation.
3 people found this helpful
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Anna
4.0 out of 5 stars It's good but
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2022
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This is a really good intro kind of book if you want to learn about the Renaissance through the eyes of two of the most infamous Italians in history. But, there's definitely a bias. It's especially glaring because there's also a kind of prudish critical review of Borgias media. It's the next to last chapter and it's best to skip it.

That said, this is a very informative book and definitely worth the read.
One person found this helpful
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Heidi Hey Hoe
2.0 out of 5 stars Not about the brother and sisters relationship!
Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2021
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COME ON! There are NO scenes in this book concerning Lucretzias and Ceasares intimate relationship. It follows their lives separately that rarely meet. Another biography decently written but the only added new, part was what happened to the Countess of Forli
4 people found this helpful
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Genya
4.0 out of 5 stars Accuracy of history
Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2021
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Very interesting book, it dispels the allegations that the siblings were lovers. Cesare was a warrior, and did not get the accolades he deserved until the 20th century. Very enjoyable history lesson. However the Pope his father was quite a character.
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Moi
5.0 out of 5 stars Italy’s most infamous siblings are given a voice
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 2, 2020
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Like most people, I have been aware of the Borgia family through portrayals through the Showtime series The Borgias and novels from my youth.
What Samantha Morris has given us, is the real life facts behind these two fascinating individuals and help dispel the rumours that have been attached to the brother and sister for hundreds of years.
We are told of how Cesare was regarded as a fearless soldier and I marvel that he, with the name of Borgia, managed to have a successful career despite making numerous enemies along the way.
As to his sister, Lucrezia has been portrayed as a woman who was both calculating and a poisoner; however, Samantha Morris tells us that the daughter of Pope Alexander VI, was a strong and determined woman, loved by many and loyal to her family.
The incest rumours that go hand in hand with Cesare and Lucrezia are briefly addressed in the book, and evidence shows that those ridiculous rumours were started by their enemies to discredit the family.
The book is very well researched and that shows as the author gives us very detailed accounts and dates for the period.
If you want to learn more about these two maligned figures from Italian history, then this is the book for you.
3 people found this helpful
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mapchapuk
5.0 out of 5 stars Cesare and Lucrezia redeemed
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 23, 2022
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In Samantha Morris 's excellent work, the reputation of Cesare and Lucrezia is reviewed and largely redeemed. It's well researched, highly readable and very worthwhile.
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Librophile
1.0 out of 5 stars The title does not at all correspond with the content of the book!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 7, 2021
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I have quite an extensive library on the Italian Renaissance and its famous families, in particular the Borgias, and I therefore had high expectations for this book on history's most famous siblings: Lucrezia and Cesare Borgia. I looked forward to the new angle the title of the book suggested. I was, however, terribly disappointed that the book is not at all about Cesare and Lucrezia as siblings. Morris has reproduced the history about the Borgias all the way from their origin in Spain, and spends many many many pages on stories and facts that have absolutely nothing to do with the siblings. And because of a lack of information or inspiration about the relationship between brother and sister (after all, Cesare and Lucrezia did not spend that much time together), the book becomes the general story of the Borgias; not the relationship and not the rapport between the siblings. Morris retells among others the stories of Lucrezia’s divorce, the death of the Duke of Gandia, Cesare resigning his cardinalate, his encounter with Caterina Sforza, the death of Lucrezia’s second husband and her marriage to Alfonso d’Este. All of this you can find in better written and more elaborately researched biographies such as the ones from Bradford, Mallett, Meyer and many others. At the end of the book, Morris writes a short chapter about Cesare and Lucrezia in modern day media. This could have been interesting had she gone in depth but also here, she remains very much on the surface. All in all, I did not really enjoy the book which seems to have been written without a good editor to clean up the language. Content wise, it does not offer anything I did not know already. My advice? Change the title so it does not deceive the buyer. Then you could offer it to an audience who knows little about the Borgias. If you want to read excellent books on the Borgias, buy Bradford's fabulous biographies on Cesare and Lucrezia.
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