Join us

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Newsletter

Franco Bernini

The Throne

Cover: The Throne - Franco Bernini

Franco Bernini

The Throne

2024, pp. 384, Paperback
ISBN: 9781787704992
Translated by: Oonagh Stransky
Region: Italy
Available as ebook Available as ebook Available as ebook
£ 14.99
Pre-order now Pre-order now Pre-order now

The book

Machiavelli is famous the world over, but who was he before he penned The Prince?

In October 1502 the powerful Cesare Borgia was preparing to invade the Florentine Republic. Niccolò Machiavelli, an official of the Republic, is sent to Borgia’s court to spy on him. 33 years old, he has a nice pen, but he’s not famous. He cheats on his wife avidly, and he’s deep into debts. He’s seen as trusted and useful, but he’s kept on the sidelines.

A complex relationship is created between Machiavelli and Borgia. The Duke needs someone to write a biography to respond to the many “slanders” circulating about him and he chooses Niccolò to do it. And so Machiavelli not only gains wider access to Borgia’s secrets, but also those of Dianora Mambelli, a young woman forced by the Borgias to stay by his side. Attending to both executioner and victim, listening to the Duke’s reflections and discovering the hidden truths that Dianora reveals to him, transform Machiavelli and give him the insight that will allow him to become a great writer. And put his own life at risk.

The Prince, written years later, was published posthumously. Thanks to it, the writer they all thought mediocre will prove to be a genius, and Cesare Borgia will survive forever, just as he wanted.

The author

Franco Bernini
Franco Bernini is a scriptwriter, director, and writer. The Throne is his third novel.

Books by region

  • Cover: The Art of Running: From Marathon to Athens on Winged Feet - Andrea Marcolongo

    Andrea Marcolongo

    The Art of Running: From Marathon to Athens on Winged Feet

    2024, pp. 192, £ 12.99
    A fresh, accessible approach on the classics and their wisdom from one of Europe’s most original and compelling scholars of ancient Greece and Rome...
  • Cover: The Passenger: Mediterranean - AA.VV.

    AA.VV.

    The Passenger: Mediterranean

    2024, pp. 192, £ 18.99
    Brimming with intricate research and enduring wonder, The Passenger is a love-letter to global travel
  • Cover: A Short History of Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce - Massimo Montanari

    Massimo Montanari

    A Short History of Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce

    2023, 113 min., £ 13.60
    From legend to history — the myths surrounding the world’s favourite dish, debunked.
  • Cover: The Other Profile - Irene Graziosi

    Irene Graziosi

    The Other Profile

    2023, pp. 224, £ 15.99
    A powerful novel that reveals the soft underbelly of Instagram's brand activism
  • Cover: The City of the Living - Nicola Lagioia

    Nicola Lagioia

    The City of the Living

    2023, pp. 456, £ 18.99
    A spellbinding investigation of one of the most vicious crimes in recent Italian history and a journey into the darkest corners of Rome and of the...
  • Cover: The House on Via Gemito - Domenico Starnone

    Domenico Starnone

    The House on Via Gemito

    2023, pp. 480, £ 15.99
    The extraordinary novel that confirmed Domenico Starnone as one of the greatest writers in modern Italian literature

More suggestions

  • Cover: Paradises Lost - Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt

    Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt

    Paradises Lost

    2024, pp. 480, £ 14.99
    The beginning of a unique adventure, the tremendous challenge of recounting the history of humanity.
  • Cover: The Postcard - Anne Berest

    Anne Berest

    The Postcard

    2023, 786 min., £ 20.99
    A moving novel based on the true story of a familys endurance and pain, and a heartfelt exploration of Jewish identity in a secular society...
  • Cover: The Postcard - Anne Berest

    Anne Berest

    The Postcard

    2023, pp. 480, £ 18.99
    A moving novel based on the true story of a familys endurance and pain, and a heartfelt exploration of Jewish identity in a secular society...
  • Cover: Fifteen Wild Decembers - Karen Powell

    Karen Powell

    Fifteen Wild Decembers

    2023, pp. 288, £ 14.99
    A creative re-imagining of the short life of Emily Brontë, one of England’s greatest writers
  • Cover: Dying is Easier than Loving - Ahmet Altan

    Ahmet Altan

    Dying is Easier than Loving

    2022, pp. 560, £ 14.99
    The third book in the Ottoman Quartet
  • Cover: Cathedral - Ben Hopkins

    Ben Hopkins

    Cathedral

    2021, pp. 624, £ 8.99
    A sweeping story about obsession, mysticism, art, and earthly desire.