the works of machiavelli niccolò machiavelli

Take a good long time to read this, and depending on your goals find someone to discuss it with, particularly his treatises and political letters. No small wonder, as he dies in exile after losing favor in the circles he walked for nearly 30 years. From these, he comes of at the end of his life as a generally bitter and cynical man.

A mix of both professional discourse and personal, it provided an interesting glimpse at this man's life and times. One of the aspects I enjoyed most was the letters at the end. Anyone who has actually read the Prince (among his shortest works) will see the story is far more complex than that.

My reading of this book has lead me to conclude, much like my reading of his 'Art of War', that those who use the term 'Machiavellian' and cite him as endorsing 'the ends justify the means' simply have no idea what he was about. It also allows one to see the man, rather than the political theorist. Like others who've read this text I find it a very interesting and refreshing, if at times dry, look at the views of one of the foremost political theorists of all time. McCormick, professor, department of political science, University of Chicago “If one were to assign a single edition of Machiavelli's works, this most certainly would be it.” –John Jeffries Martin, professor and chair, department of history, Trinity University Thoughtfully introduced by Albert Russell Ascoli, this edition belongs in everyone’s library.” “Constantine’s selection is not only intelligent his translations are astonishingly good. Kaplan, author of W arrior Politics: Why Leadership Demands a Pagan Ethos This new collection provides deeper insight into Machiavelli’s personality as a writer, thus broadening our understanding of him.” “Machiavelli's stress on political necessity rather than moral perfection helped inspire the Renaissance by renewing links with Thucydides and other classical thinkers.

Augmented with useful features–vital and concise annotations and cross-references–this unique compendium is certain to become the standard one-volume reference to this influential, versatile, and ever timely writer. The volume features essays that appear in English for the first time, such as “A Caution to the Medici” and “The Persecution of Africa.” Also included are complete versions of the political treatise, The Prince, the comic satire The Mandrake, The Life of Castruccio Castracani, and the classic story “Belfagor”, along with selections from The Discourses, The Art of War, and Florentine Histories. Refreshingly accessible, these superb new translations are faithful to Machiavelli’s original, beautifully crafted writings. In The Essential Writings of Machiavelli, Peter Constantine has assembled a comprehensive collection that shows the true depth and breadth of a great Renaissance thinker.

The works of machiavelli niccolò machiavelli