Book cover of The Artist, the Philosopher, and the Warrior: The Intersecting Lives of Da Vinci, Machiavelli, and Borgia and the World They Shaped

Book description

In the autumn of 1502 three giants of the Renaissance period - Cesare Borgia, Leonardo da Vinci and Niccolo Machiavelli - set out on one of the most treacherous military campaigns of the period. Cesare Borgia was a ferocious military leader whose name was synonymous with brutality and whose reputation…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked The Artist, the Philosopher, and the Warrior as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

My novel about World War II Italy depicts only one of the many times when the peninsula was a battleground from the Alps to Sicily. This book is narrative nonfiction that recounts medieval history with three extraordinary personalities that came together in 1502: Leonardo DaVinci, Niccolo Machiavelli, and Cesare Borgia.

Borgia was the son of Pope Alexander VI, and in his brutal campaign to forge dozens of warring states into a unified empire, he employed Leonardo to design and build seige engines, while negotiating with Machiavelli for the freedom of Florence. Borgia later became The Prince in Macchiavelli’s book on…

If you love The Artist, the Philosopher, and the Warrior...

Book cover of Aggressor

Aggressor by FX Holden,

It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.

The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…

Want books like The Artist, the Philosopher, and the Warrior?

Our community of 13,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Artist, the Philosopher, and the Warrior.

Browse books like The Artist, the Philosopher, and the Warrior

Book cover of Signora Da Vinci
Book cover of Oil and Marble: A Novel of Leonardo and Michelangelo
Book cover of The Italian Renaissance and the Origins of the Modern Humanities: An Intellectual History, 1400-1800

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,395

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like The Artist, the Philosopher, and the Warrior, you might also like...

Book cover of Ramón Ramirez's Dog: Reflections on Then and Now

Ramón Ramirez's Dog by David J. Dunford,

Ramon Ramirez’s Dog is a collection of essays written over the years about the adventures and misadventures, mostly outside but occasionally inside the diplomatic career of a U.S. ambassador. Common threads weaving the stories together are a desire for a life well-lived, balancing career with family and friends, keeping physically…

Book cover of I, Robot Alien

I, Robot Alien by Joel R. Dennstedt,

“Intelligent, unique, and tremendously entertaining.” - Readers' Favorite 2025

BOOKLIFE EDITOR’S PICK!

EARTH… CENTURIES AFTER THE FALL!

I was created by beings who couldn’t touch this world... only watch it crumble. Every twenty years, a new tribe... a new hope... a new failure.

I was told, “Do not interfere.” But…

5 book lists we think you will like!