Overview

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 bestselling biographer Sarah Bradford reveals in this breathtaking portrait, the truth is far more fascinating than the myth. Neither a vicious monster nor a seductive pawn, Lucrezia Borgia was a shrewd, determined woman who used her beauty and intelligence to secure a key role in the political struggles of her day. Drawing from a trove of contemporary documents and fascinating firsthand accounts, Bradford brings to life the art, the pageantry, and the dangerous politics of the Renaissance world Lucrezia Borgia helped to create.

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9781433224720

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Reviews

"""[A] biography that neither condemns nor exonerates the life of the notorious Renaissance femme fatale...A fascinating account of the true-life woman behind the Machiavellian legend."" -- ""Midwest Book Review"" ""A lively view of Lucrezia, capturing the glamour and tragedy of her story."" -- ""Wall Street Journal"" ""Bradford's zest for this era is contagious...makes clear the practical intelligence that proved the foundation for Lucrezia's remarkable life."" -- ""USA Today"" ""The facts of Lucrezia's case are sorted out from fiction by Bradford's humanizing biography...Bradford's readable biography resoundingly succeeds."" -- ""Publishers Weekly"" ""The listener is lucky to be in the capable hands of a great narrator to sort through the wealth of information and dense historical details of Renaissance Italy. Forget the titillating rumors you've heard about the Borgia family--the truth is far worse!...Yet Lucrezia still shines as a strong-willed, compassionate woman who bucked the odds, and with her brains and charm wove her way through one land mine after another to be happy and successful in her own right. Lorner Raver's calm delivery is ideal as she guides the listener through one of the darkest times in history."" -- ""AudioFile"" ""This compelling biography is irresistibly interwoven with plenty of period gossip, sex, and intrigue."" -- ""Booklist (starred review)"" ""What all biographies should aspire to be: meticulously researched and exquisitely written...A tender and intimate account of a misunderstood and passionate woman."" -- ""Elle"""

Author Information

Sarah Bradford is a historian and English author known for her popular royal biographies. Her previous books include Cesare Borgia, Disraeli, Princess Grace, George VI, Splendours and Miseries: A Life of Sacheverell Sitwell, Elizabeth: A Biography of Her Majesty the Queen, America's Queen: The Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and Lucrezia Borgia. Lorna Raver, named one of AudioFile magazine's Best Voices of the Year, has received numerous Audie Award nominations and many AudioFile Earphones Awards. She has appeared on stage in New York, Los Angeles, and regional theaters around the country. Among her many television credits are NYPD Blue, Judging Amy, Boston Legal, ER, and Star Trek. She starred in director Sam Raimi's film Drag Me to Hell.

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