The borgias hardcover

This is a very dense history, which is exactly what I was looking for. Unlike Hibbert's more superficial (and better knwon) The Medicis, the author had gone directly for original sources as a scholar rather than secondary literature as a hack. The result is a wonderful read, if at times a bit difficult for the assumptions it made on knowledge of the history and governmental mechanics of the papacy, the unification of Spain, etc; there are also quotes in Latin, Spanish, French and Italian that are not translated, and I for one do not know those languages well enough as a would-be scholar. But he can also tell a very good story.