Readings Classics: The Prince

Description

Witty, informative, and devilishly shrewd, The Prince is Machiavelli’s classic analysis of statesmanship and power. “It is best to be both feared and loved, however, if one cannot be both, it is better to be feared than loved.”–Machiavelli

For over four hundred years, The Prince has been the basic handbook of politics, statesmanship, and power. Written by a Florentine nobleman whose name has become a synonym for crafty plotting, it is a fascinating political and social document, as pertinent today as when it first appeared. After a lifetime of winning and losing at the game of politics, Machiavelli set down for all time its ageless rules and moves, in this highly readable formula for the man who seeks power. At a time before modern democracy, Machiavelli was less concerned with right and wrong than with currying favor with the ruling Medicis, and his work came to be thought of as a blueprint for dictators. The Prince has long been required reading for those interested in politics and power, and it has long since become one of the world’s most significant books.

Author Biography

Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527) was born in Florence, Italy. Until 1512, he had an active political life and served at diplomatic and military positions in Florentine Republic. He lost his office when Medici family reclaimed Florentine throne. Machiavelli, then, moved to his family estate and dedicated his life to writing. He wrote his magnum opus The Prince (Il Principe) in 1913 and then went on writing many political, historical, fictional and dramatic works. He is often regarded as the founder of the modern political science.