The Prince (Masterplots, Revised Second Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Niccolo Machiavelli
- First Published: 1532
- Type of Work: Politics
- Genres: Nonfiction, Philosophy, Politics
- Subjects: Politics, Europe or Europeans, Kings, queens, or royalty, Politicians, Fifteenth century, Sixteenth century, Italy or Italians, Princes or princesses
Critical Evaluation:
This is the book that gives meaning to the adjective “Machiavellian.” It is an ingenious and fascinating study of the art of practical politics, composed by a man who never rose higher than the position of secretary to the Second Chancery in Florence. The success of his book can be attributed partly to his wit and partly to his having known some of the most clever and powerful rogues of the Renaissance. His model for the “prince” was Cesare Borgia, a man who used all means of conquest, including murder, to achieve and hold political power.
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