City of God (Holland novel)

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City of God: A Novel of the Borgias
City of God (1979) Cecelia Holland-1st US edition.jpg
US first edition
Author Cecelia Holland
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Genre Historical fiction
Published1979
Publisher Alfred A. Knopf
Media typePrint (Hardcover, Paperback)
Pages273
ISBN 0-394-41277-X
OCLC 3845422

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]

Contents

Plot

Nicholas 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

David 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]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Maclaine, David. "City of God by Cecelia Holland". Historicalnovels.info. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
  2. "Library Notes". The Sylva Herald and Ruralite : 9. August 23, 1979. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  3. Earle, Kathy Weeks (March 1979). "City of God: A Novel of the Borgias by Cecelia Holland". Library Review . Greeley, Colorado: University of Northern Colorado Library. 104 (5): 648.

Further reading