Meyer can be considered a professional “writer of history” rather than a professional historian. He draws his evidence from previously written books, in the distant or near past. He had a clear objective in mind: to question the widespread black legend about the famous Borgia characters of the Renaissance, especially pope Alexander VI, Cesare and Lucrezia. Historical written evidence shows that there is no basis for believing that Alexander was a sexual pervert or was prone to unethical practices. In fact, he appears for most of his life like a rather moral character. The much spoken attribution of his paternity to many siblings seems untrue, both because contemporary evidence is not available and because the news come from his enemies after his death. Having said this, the book can be shocking for the readers because it describes quite in detail the practice of nepotism of popes of the Renaissance—from pope Calistux III (Alonso de Borgia) to pope Julius II; and because of the political and military policies and actions of the popes to recover and preserve the many parts of the Papal States. Descriptions of the violence of the many Italian and Spanish oligarchs or military figures, among which Cesare Borgia stands out, is another unforgettable feature of the book. At some instances Meyer becomes too sympathetic to the Borgias, trying to excuse deviant behavior due to the standards of the age, although most readers will not be convinced. The book is beautifully written and it grips the attention of the reader, much like an action novel.
J.M. (Philipines, 2016)