City of God: A Novel of the Borgias is a 1979 historical novel by Cecelia Holland. Set in 15th-century Rome during the Borgia period, it follows Nicholas Dawson, ambitious secretary to the Florentine ambassador, as he becomes embroiled in dangerous political intrigue.[1][2]
_Cecelia_Holland-1st_US_edition.jpg) US first edition | |
| Author | Cecelia Holland |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Historical fiction |
| Published | 1979 |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover, Paperback) |
| Pages | 273 |
| ISBN | 0-394-41277-X |
| OCLC | 3845422 |
Plot
editNicholas Dawson is the secretary to the ambassador of Florence in Rome; clever and ambitious, he is homosexual and a highly educated commoner born in Spain to English parents. Soon Nicholas is enlisted as a double agent for the ruthless Cesare Borgia, and his contact in Florence is none other than Niccolò Machiavelli himself.[1]
Critical reception
editDavid Maclaine called City of God a "gripping" novel of "slowly mounting tension leading to an intense pay-off. It is a brilliant introduction to the people and events that gave us the word 'Machiavellian.'"[1] According to Library Review, "Holland attributes to Nicholas a keenly analytical mind, a self-serving nature, and a penchant for other men, facets which blend well with her representation of this unsettled time."[3]
References
edit- ^ a b c Maclaine, David. "City of God by Cecelia Holland". Historicalnovels.info. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
- ^ "Library Notes". The Sylva Herald and Ruralite: 9. August 23, 1979. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
- ^ Earle, Kathy Weeks (March 1979). "City of God: A Novel of the Borgias by Cecelia Holland". Library Review. 104 (5). Greeley, Colorado: University of Northern Colorado Library: 648.
Further reading
edit- Jackson, David (September 27, 1979). "The Finger and the Ear". The New York Review of Books. 26 (14): 54–55.
- "Book Reviews: City of God by Cecelia Holland (and others)". Time. Vol. 113, no. 15. April 1979. p. 82.
- "City of God by Cecelia Holland". Bookshare. January 16, 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
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 | This article about a historical novel of the 1970s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. See guidelines for writing about novels. Further suggestions might be found on the article's talk page. |