The Artist, the Philosopher, and the Warrior

Da Vinci, Machiavelli, and Borgia and the World They Shaped

By: Paul Strathern

Narrated by: Nigel Patterson

Length: 15 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

Leonardo da Vinci, Niccolò Machiavelli, and Cesare Borgia - three iconic figures whose intersecting lives provide the basis for this astonishing work of narrative history. They could not have been more different, and they would meet only for a short time in 1502, but the events that transpired when they did would significantly alter each man's perceptions - and the course of Western history.

In 1502, Italy was riven by conflict, with the city of Florence as the ultimate prize. Machiavelli, the consummate political manipulator, attempted to placate the savage Borgia by volunteering Leonardo to be Borgia's chief military engineer. That autumn, the three men embarked together on a brief, perilous, and fateful journey through the mountains, remote villages, and hill towns of the Italian Romagna - the details of which were revealed in Machiavelli's frequent dispatches and Leonardo's meticulous notebooks.

Superbly written and thoroughly researched, The Artist, the Philosopher, and the Warrior is a work of narrative genius - whose subject is the nature of genius itself.

©2009 Paul Strathern (P)2018 Tantor

A Very Good Book (Just Not As Good As Others)

I listened to this after I listened to Paul Strathern's other books: The Medici and Death in Florence (in that order). I thought this one was still interesting, but the writing seemed more biased and preachy while the narration was good but not as well done as the others by Derek Perkins. I still highly recommend all three books, analog or audio, because they are fascinating.

Brought so much renaissance life…to life

What a wonderful narrative history…about the best in its class I have read/listened to. The connections between the two seminal giants of the renaissance, joined by a force of nature (Borgia), was all new to me.

Great narration, pronunciation, and biographies.

Although this is another biased opinion about the Borgia family, I did enjoy it. Also, I did enjoyed the names of the important figures, being pronounced correctly.

Good for those who don't know much about Leonardo Da Vinci, Niccolo Machiavelli, or Cesare Borgia

Those who liked this book, should try "The Life of Cesare Borgia" by Rafael Sabatini. For an unbiased look upon the Borgia family.

Incredible!

Paul Strathern is one of my very favorite authors, and this work of his is excellent! He weaves together the timeline in a compelling way that allows the audience to understand the good, bad, and truly human qualities of the artist, philosopher, and warrior. Highly recommend!

Disappointing

The author's premise is that these three men spent a small amount of time together, and that time changed their perspectives and, from there, the course of history. Unfortunately, the book is full of supposition and speculation -- especially about Da Vinci -- with these repeated words and phrases summing up the gist of the information given: might; might could have; possibly; probably; must have; in all likelihood; it would seem; it would appear to suggest; it would have been out of character; if we assume; we can surmise. Though I finished it in hopes that he would eventually prove his point, I came away very frustrated as he was unable to do so without postulating.