The Banner of the Bull

The bull on the Borgia banner is a sign of power that cities must acknowledge and even allies have reason to fear. In three historical tales, Rafael Sabatini examines episodes from the career of Cesare Borgia. Soldiers, courtiers and rivals try to defend their positions or turn another person's weakness to advantage. Public loyalty offers no certainty about private intentions. The collection presents Renaissance Italy through the collision of personal ambition and political calculation. Its interest lies in the mechanisms of deception, fear and self-justification surrounding power. Each story develops towards a revelation that changes the meaning of earlier actions, where family honour, revenge and statecraft cannot be cleanly separated.