The Black Prince of Florence
The Spectacular Life and Treacherous World of Alessandro de’ Medici
About the book
The son of Lorenzo de' Medici and a dark-skinned maid, born outside marriage, Alessandro de' Medici ruled Florence from 1531 to 1537 and has a claim to be the Western world's first head of state of color. Catherine Fletcher follows his path through Italian politics, where cardinals, popes and princes competed for wealth, to his rule as prince of Florence by the age of nineteen, and the resistance he met from the city's oligarchs and rival relatives. He was killed at 26 at a late-night tryst his cousins arranged, and his murderers later criticized his rule. Drawing on archival research and first-hand sources, Fletcher exposes forgeries, revisits old mysteries and links the story to questions of race and class.
It appears on McKinsey CEO Dominic Barton's reading list in a roundup titled Books the CEOs Are Recommending.
We hope you love the books people recommend! Just so you know, The CEO Library may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page.
This book has 1 recommendation
Dominic Barton (CEO/McKinsey)
Barton's reading list reflects his unique upbringing and background: He was born in Africa, studied in North America, worked in Asia and then moved to London to take on the role of CEO.
Get this book on Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books