The Borgias and Their Enemies
1431-1519
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Narrated by:
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John Telfer
About this listen
The name Borgia is synonymous with the corruption, nepotism, and greed that were rife in Renaissance Italy. The powerful, voracious Rodrigo Borgia, better known to history as Pope Alexander VI, was the central figure of the dynasty. Two of his seven papal offspring also rose to power and fame - his daughter Lucrezia and her brother Cesare, who murdered Lucrezia's husband and served as the model for Machiavelli's The Prince.
The Borgias were notorious for seizing power, wealth, land, and titles through bribery, marriage, and murder. The story of the family's dramatic rise from its Spanish roots to the highest position in Italian society is an absorbing tale.
©2009 Christopher Hibbert (P)2012 AudioGORelated to this topic
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Against the background of an age that saw the rebirth of ancient and classical learning, Paul Strathern explores the intensely dramatic rise and fall of the Medici family in Florence as well as the Italian Renaissance, which they did so much to sponsor and encourage. Interwoven into the narrative are the lives of many of the great Renaissance artists with whom the Medici had dealings, including Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Donatello as well as scientists like Galileo and Pico della Mirandola.
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Fun Story Bad History
- By Elizabeth Barrett on 05-09-16
By: Paul Strathern
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Blood Roses
- The Houses of Lancaster and York Before the Wars of the Roses
- By: Kathryn Warner
- Narrated by: Corrie James
- Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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The Wars of the Roses didn't start on the battlefield: Blood Roses traces it back to the beginning. Starting in 1245 with the founding of the House of Lancaster, Kathryn Warner follows a twisted path of political intrigue, bloody war, and fascinating characters over 200 years. From the Barons' Wars to the overthrowing of Edward II, Eleanor of Castile to Isabella of France, and true love to Loveday, Blood Roses reframes some of the biggest events of the medieval era—not as stand-alone conflicts, but as part of a long-running family feud that would have drastic consequences.
By: Kathryn Warner
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Crown of Blood
- The Deadly Inheritance of Lady Jane Grey
- By: Nicola Tallis
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 11 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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"Good people, I am come hither to die, and by a law I am condemned to the same." These were the heartbreaking words of a 17-year-old girl, Lady Jane Grey, as she stood on the scaffold awaiting death on a cold February morning in 1554. Minutes later, her head was struck from her body with a single stroke of a heavy ax. Her death for high treason sent shock waves through the Tudor world and served as a gruesome reminder to all who aspired to a crown that the ax could fall at any time.
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Brilliantly Compelling
- By J.Brock on 11-26-19
By: Nicola Tallis
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Brunelleschi's Dome
- How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture
- By: Ross King
- Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart
- Length: 6 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Brunelleschi's Dome is the story of how a Renaissance genius bent men, materials, and the very forces of nature to build an architectural wonder we continue to marvel at today. Denounced at first as a madman, Brunelleschi was celebrated at the end as a genius. He engineered the perfect placement of brick and stone, built ingenious hoists and cranes to carry an estimated 70 million pounds hundreds of feet into the air, and designed the workers' platforms and routines so carefully that only one man died during the decades of construction.
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Great history with terrible narration
- By Whiskey Mike on 12-16-21
By: Ross King
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The Artist, the Philosopher, and the Warrior
- Da Vinci, Machiavelli, and Borgia and the World They Shaped
- By: Paul Strathern
- Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
- Length: 15 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Leonardo da Vinci, Niccolò Machiavelli, and Cesare Borgia - three iconic figures whose intersecting lives provide the basis for this astonishing work of narrative history. They could not have been more different, and they would meet only for a short time in 1502, but the events that transpired when they did would significantly alter each man's perceptions - and the course of Western history.
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A Very Good Book (Just Not As Good As Others)
- By George Monnat Jr on 02-18-19
By: Paul Strathern
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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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Powers and Thrones
- A New History of the Middle Ages
- By: Dan Jones
- Narrated by: Dan Jones
- Length: 24 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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When the once-mighty city of Rome was sacked by barbarians in 410 and lay in ruins, it signaled the end of an era—and the beginning of a thousand years of profound transformation. In a gripping narrative bursting with big names—from St Augustine and Attila the Hun to the Prophet Muhammad and Eleanor of Aquitaine—Dan Jones charges through the history of the Middle Ages. Powers and Thrones takes listeners on a journey through an emerging Europe, the great capitals of late Antiquity, as well as the influential cities of the Islamic West.
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Hard to take a break from it!
- By Mariano's Music on 12-09-21
By: Dan Jones
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Catherine de Medici
- Renaissance Queen of France
- By: Leonie Frieda
- Narrated by: Sarah Le Fevre
- Length: 21 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Poisoner, despot, necromancer - the dark legend of Catherine de Medici is centuries old. In this critically hailed biography, Leonie Frieda reclaims the story of this unjustly maligned queen to reveal a skilled ruler battling extraordinary political and personal odds - from a troubled childhood in Florence to her marriage to Henry, son of King Francis I of France; from her transformation of French culture to her fight to protect her throne and her sons' birthright. Based on thousands of private letters, it is a remarkable account of one of the most influential women to wear a crown.
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Narrator didn't get one name right
- By Georgina García- Menocal on 09-15-19
By: Leonie Frieda
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The Dark Queens
- The Bloody Rivalry That Forged the Medieval World
- By: Shelley Puhak
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Brunhild was a foreign princess, raised to be married off for the sake of alliance-building. Her sister-in-law Fredegund started out as a lowly palace slave. And yet - in sixth-century Merovingian France, where women were excluded from noble succession and royal politics was a blood sport - these two iron-willed strategists reigned over vast realms, changing the face of Europe.
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Fascinating & Long Overdue
- By Mary E Birdsong on 10-22-22
By: Shelley Puhak
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Henry V
- The Astonishing Triumph of England's Greatest Warrior King
- By: Dan Jones
- Narrated by: Dan Jones
- Length: 14 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Henry V reigned over England for only nine years and four months and died at the age of just thirty-five, but he looms over the landscape of the late Middle Ages and beyond. The victor of Agincourt, he is remembered as the acme of kingship, a model to be closely imitated by his successors. William Shakespeare deployed Henry V as a study in youthful folly redirected to sober statesmanship. For one modern medievalist, Henry was, quite simply, “the greatest man who ever ruled England.”
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Well done history
- By Hawaiian 54 on 10-31-24
By: Dan Jones
What listeners say about The Borgias and Their Enemies
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Amazon Customer
- 12-09-22
Rich savoury History sauce
a Great book supererbly narrated. Gives you enough laciviousness to satisfy your curious heart
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- peter brumlik
- 05-26-21
A brilliant history
Brilliantly written, the reader will become immersed in the world of the Borgias. Eloquently narrated, this book is a must for seekers of Renaissance history.
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- Anonymous User
- 06-01-23
recap of events
the way the story was told was not that interesting. there was no climax or conflict rather it was just a narration of events and facts that happened
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- Graciela G.
- 08-15-21
Beautifully done
Love it!!!
perfectly read and written.
Enjoyed every part of it.
Long live Rodrigo, Cesare and Lucrezia!
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- tiffany
- 03-13-15
really interesting
Where does The Borgias and Their Enemies rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
This is a really well organised history. There is some confusion with names (as is to be expected in history books around this era; titles attached to multiple people over time) but overall a really interesting read and well worth your time.
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4 people found this helpful
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- j.holmes
- 01-16-23
A Terrifying Family
I wish I could have been there. This is a nice supplement to my two favorite Borgia dramas.
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- michaelyoung
- 07-19-23
Couldn’t stop listening.
Very detailed history. And we think our political leaders today are obsessed with power and sex?
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- David
- 09-08-12
Solid Historical Perspective
Where does The Borgias and Their Enemies rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
This was a well-researched and interesting portrayal of a fascinating family in Renaissance Italy.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Borgias and Their Enemies?
I enjoyed the insight into the inner workings of the Holy See during the Renaissance.
Have you listened to any of John Telfer’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
No. Interesting listen.
Any additional comments?
I have read other books by Hibbert and this was among the best efforts.
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5 people found this helpful
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- Felisa Kay
- 11-01-20
reads like a fairy tale, I loved it
it wasn't full of only tiresome references and cold facts, it was like a story. easy to follow and the author included, i think, some different info. that usually isn't included i books on this subject. I think someone who isn't that knowledgeable of this subject to easily and enjoyably follow. without much confusion. it was profrecitly performed. a book that keeps you interested. I enjoyed it
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2 people found this helpful
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- Ryn Higgins
- 11-30-22
Detailed and Entertaining
Starting off a little cumbersome with a lot of backstory, the tale of the Borgias grows to be very fun, informative, and detailed. Highly recommended for those who love Italian history.
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