The tip of the razor. Then now (The Edge of the Razor. Then and Now)

The “cut of the razor” is a genuine "school of morals" of European and American society at the beginning of the 20th century. Perhaps the novel contains the brightest characters that ever came out of the pen of the Somerset Maugham. Larry Darrell is a young American in search of the meaning of life. Isabella, his bride, who has to make a difficult choice between love and wealth, the opinion of society and the desire to live in his own way. Elliot Templeton is a peculiar standard of snobbery, rising from the lower classes, now it strictly follows the rules of secular society.
then and now " - a historical novel telling about the omnipotent clan of Borgia, who dreams of uniting Italy, but again and again stumbles on The resistance of the independent Republic of Florence. The conflict takes an increasingly fierce form, and finally Florence sends the ambassador to Borgia - the most brilliant political thinker of his time, cynic and subtle intrigue Niccolo Machiavelli. Thus begins the fascinating duel of two opponents, who is not inferior to each other either with Itelleck or cunning - Machiavelli and his opponent Cesare Borgia