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" An excellent biography of one of history's most villified women. Lucrezia Borgia's name is synonymous with incest, murder and corruption, yet the evidence shows that in fact she was a pawn of her father Pope Alexander VI and brother Cesar's ruthless ambition. "
- Georgina, 2/17/2014
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" Still working on this one. I really want to become engrossed in this book, but I'm having a really hard time. There are so many people being discussed (at about 50 pages in, I haven't read much about Lucrezia herself), and it's very difficult to keep straight who is who, which makes it difficult for me to really care. This has several good reviews on here that have convinced me to not give completely up on it yet, but there are just as many reviews that concur with my opinions on the dryness and large scope of the text. So I'm not giving up, but I'm also not sure that I'll be able to finish. It feels like homework that I've assigned myself, and I haven't felt like I was doing homework in a long time. "
- Miranda, 1/30/2014
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" Sorry to say, but this book is a total pile-on of confusing names, dates and setups that still have not delivered for me 1/3 of the way in. This one was a hard slog and I give up. This book needed a better editor, who should of told Ms. brdford to stop packing so much in .... I mean just read here acknowlegment page with out your eyes going cross. I think good history should put things into context and tell a compelling story, give possible insights and illuminate the past. Also a book on Lucezia Borgia should cast the main character center stage or at least partly, this book failed to do this for me. Can any one suggest another book on Lucrezia Borgia that is factual, coherent and keeps your interest? "
- Mark, 1/26/2014
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" I really wanted to like this book, and I know this isn't fair, but it was so boring!! It was well researched and I love the idea of trying to correct how villainous lucrezia's reputation has become throughout history but the writing style is so dry. "
- Jody, 1/25/2014
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" I wasn't a huge fan of this book. I picked it up because I don't know a lot, and am interested in the Borgias. Overall, I found the book very clinical. I had a hard time getting through it. Overall, I'd say skip this book unless you're interested in Lucretia Borgia and the political aspects of her life. "
- Kati, 1/24/2014
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" Starts off as a cracking good read. I read this in Venice on our last trip to Italy and unfortunately the story started to sag in the last 3rd. Still, well worth reading to get a good introduction to the Borgias and Renaissance Italy from a very different angle. "
- Kevin, 1/14/2014
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" Really dry, not intended as narrative non-fic "
- Julie, 12/26/2013
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" Interesting and well-researched book; I only gave it three stars because it is somewhat disjointed. "
- Jpekich, 11/27/2013
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" Y otro de mi Lucrecia Borgia pero con una de mis autoras preferidas. "
- China, 10/16/2013
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" A VERY BEAUTIFUL WOMAN, LIVING IN A HARD TIME. INDEPTH STUDY OF LUCREZIA WITH WORDS AND PICTURES. MADE ME FEEL SAD FOR HER. WORHT READING. HIGHLY RECOMMEND "
- Carol, 9/29/2013
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" Brilliant work about one of history's most vilely slandered women. Recommended. "
- Chris, 9/23/2013
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" History, history, history with panache!!!!!!! "
- Ron, 6/24/2013
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" Too academic. Have up after chapter 2. "
- Britta, 2/21/2013
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" Even for me, this book got a little in the weeds on the mundane details of life at the time. But it was still interesting. "
- Blair, 1/10/2013
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" A little wordy but very interesting "
- Eileen, 7/18/2012
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" Bartolomeo di Veneto's portrait of Lucrezia Borgia is the first alarming clue that you're about to embark on a journey into the life of an extraordinary woman. Slightly more academic than Michael Ennis' Duchess of Milan, Sarah Bradford's account of the Duchess of Ferarra is a captivating book. "
- Monica, 4/11/2012
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" Hello book, because of many undistinguishable Borgias and many titles I had to give up. I cannot take it anymore. Please accept my apology. "
- Saikhnaa, 10/29/2011
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" Makes watching "The Borgias" on TV more interesting. Was she a victim or was she really bad? "
- Judy, 8/23/2011
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" Ok, I didn't actually finish it; I got bored and skimmed. I like biographies generally but this one was a little too dry for my taste. Might be because there isn't much reliable info on the subject, but I don't know. Maybe I'll go back to it at some point... "
- Abigail, 7/18/2011
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" Too boring to be able to finish. It reads more like a textbook.
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- Jeanne, 4/18/2011
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" History, history, history with panache!!!!!!!
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- Ron, 2/15/2011
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" Ok, I didn't actually finish it; I got bored and skimmed. I like biographies generally but this one was a little too dry for my taste. Might be because there isn't much reliable info on the subject, but I don't know. Maybe I'll go back to it at some point...
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- Abigail, 2/3/2011
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" Makes watching "The Borgias" on TV more interesting. Was she a victim or was she really bad?
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- Judy, 1/6/2011
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" Starts off as a cracking good read. I read this in Venice on our last trip to Italy and unfortunately the story started to sag in the last 3rd. Still, well worth reading to get a good introduction to the Borgias and Renaissance Italy from a very different angle.
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- Kevin, 1/3/2011
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" I listened to this book on tape. I was expecting a historical romance, but it was really a summary of research on Lucrezia. Since I knew very little about her, I learned something of her life -- and a bit more about how people lived at that time.
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- Jennifer, 12/16/2010
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" Certainly a different look at Lucrezia, which mad it all the more interesting.
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- Sydnie, 9/20/2010
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" OH MY! What a tangled, perverted web these sinister well-to-do's create! I have to say, as titillating as it was, I couldn't help but enjoy this tidbit of history.
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- L., 6/21/2010
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" Slow read due to dates and numerous characters. Learned some history!
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- Nadine, 11/11/2009
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