The Prince (Bantam Classics)

"The Prince" is a discourse on political philosophy supported by events in history authored by Niccolo Machiavelli in the 16th century. It is not lengthy and the English translation is relatively clear. The author describes how various historical and political figures obtained and maintained positions of power, or in contrast, lost same. Machiavelli does not take it upon himself to act in a specific manner or necessarily in a cruel manner. He simply outlines what others have done.I have read this work twice. The first time I read this work was years ago, prior to much study of Italian history and ancient history. Although the language was clear, much of the references to historical figures was obscure to me. Since the first reading I have studied a good deal of European history and ancient history. This work made a lot more sense to me the second time around. I still used Study aides including Cliffs Notes to make sure I understood what the author was referring to. In that context, the work reminds me of Dante's Devine Comedy. The work makes a LOT more sense when one has either the proper study aides and / or an actual knowledge of the persons and events referenced.In the event one is not familiar with this period of Italian history, one might consider a medium length work such as "The Italian Renaissance" by J. H. Plumb. There are many such works. I just happened to read that one at the same time as "The Prince". I also used study aides as described above. It really adds to the reading experience of this work.In summary, I completely enjoyed this reading of "The Prince". The Kindle and audiobook were quite inexpensive and represented a great value. I took my time and used study aides and learned a lot. Thank You...

The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli is one of the most influential Italian literature in the world.This dangerous book exposes and analyzes the fundamental principles of power and government. These principles are always followed regardless of the form of government (democracy, autocracy, totalitarian,etc.).The book exposes the fact that there is no form of government in which power is shared to the people. Unless you have power and influence, you do not, and never will matter to the government.Gandhi and MLK changed their respective countries because they obtained power and influence.There are only a handful of countries in the world with direct democracy, which counts everyone's vote equally.Personally I think true democracy may exist among less than 10 people.

I often heard of this book but never read it and after reading it I am sorry I didn't pick it up sooner. Some people think that the book is cruel and calculating, but I think it is very insightful of how governments take over countries and keep their citizens in line. Some times it means killing the old administration (literally) and other times it means employing citizens in new territories that you are trying to take over. The writing wasn't convoluted at all. It was very clear and well written. This is definitely a book you can read over and over again.

The Prince is one of the most influential works in political theory and realpolitik. Arguably, it is the first work on realpolitik. Machiavelli wrote this book during a time of great turmoil in Italy, and from his long experience as a diplomat he came to the conclusion that lofty ideals had no place in politics. What he concerned himself with was regimes that would last, and the means required to achieve the ends of an unified Italy. While the book is controversial, most of Machiavelli’s analysis are difficult to argue against. It would not be surprising if most politicians today follow Machiavelli’s recommendations.This edition of The Prince is well formatted and well designed. The cover and interior looks great. This edition of the book also includes Machiavelli’s “A description of the methods adopted by the Duke Valentino when murdering Vitellozzo Vitelli, Oliverotto da Fermo, the Signor Pagolo, and the Duke di Gravina Orsini” and “The Life of Castruccio Castracani of Lucca”.

Avoid this version. It is filled with awkward editing and has too many typographical and grammar errors. I shared with Amazon that this product does not meet its high quality standards. As an alternative, I suggest the Barnes and Noble version, which is translated smoothly and contains informative endnotes.

A great thesis worth multiple readings. This collection of essays and letters are one man's fascinating take on politics and war. The only thing which takes away from the overall work are the appendices which try to spoon-feed conclusions as opposed to providing context for the greater work.To be able to read and understand this book correctly, you must be prepared to spend some time understanding the politics and conflicts of the time. That being said, it's the only way to do it and be able to grasp more than surface conclusions. Being able to read and understand the work changed my understanding of not just politics, but also my interactions with different groups both socially and in my work life.

This book was written centuries ago by an Italian national. It is hard for me to relate personally to much of what he wrote, but that isn't why I read it. I wanted to see what the fuss was all about. Machiavelli was such a figure that his name became an adjective, still used centuries later. It lived up to its hype. Mesmerizing, blood-chilling calculation and deviousness. A good read, and not an extremely long one, so that was good, too.

Niccolo Machiavelli is the “Chanakya” of Europe !Having read “Art of War” & “Arthasasthra” I was still able to enjoy Niccolo’s observations of Politics, War, Emperors & Republic.It’s a very condensed read & it’s not written in simple English, so following the chapters was not that easy.The famous examples of Roman Emperors & Other Famous Conquerors illustrated by Niccolo were to the point but his examples with the Politics of Italy when he was alive was very hard to follow since it had too many characters.The Latter Chapter was a mini-history of Italian Politics of the day which I mostly skipped through.But the points put forth by Niccolo rings true to even this day & age; students, businessmen & politicians alike have something here to read & ponder !

So, it seems there has been a bit of a mix up.I'm a Tupac fan and having read an article that mentioned that Tupac read this book while in prison and found it profoundly enlightening I decided it was a must read for me, I clicked and its sat on the kindle for almost two years , until now.I had no idea what this was about, I just assumed I was going to read a fairly raucous fictional story about a Prince.So you can imagine my shock when I read the opening chapter, i very quickly realised that when it comes to book recommendations, Tupac and me are not compatible.I feel bad for giving this a one star as this is entirely my fault however it meets all the criteria, I had to drag myself through, I understood little and the only satisfaction I received was reaching the end.Sorry Machiavelli.

I bought the paper cover version of this book. Seriously disappointed when I pick it up and it is literally a paper copy. It looks like something I did on Microsoft word! The text is sometimes all over the place and it looks really tacky. The book also came so bent I’m tempted to throw it away.

Never knew that political games could be dealt with mathematical precision. The Prince is almost a scientific study of political strategy. A gem for the politically active and astute mind. Be weary of the ideological gap between when the book was written, and its present day application. The 16th century was a time of monarchs and the 21st century is a time of democracies - the change in political scenario is not dealt with in the book. Henry Kissinger's "Diplomacy" might prove to be a more a contemporary after read.

Like often, the 'soundbite' often heard in relation to the book ('divide and conquer') does not cover it well.The book is pretty easy to read and understand and provides interesting insights, but in general, but specifically in the past. As the very good and clear introduction describes, this book was basically written as a 'handbook on ways to obtain and remain power'. Something very relevant for the time and region it was written (Europe under the Holy Roman Empire etc.).Before I read it, I thought this book would book with 'evil/nasty tips and tricks for ruling' (which I was not looking forward to), but I obviously was very naive about that. It's much more than that and in my view a true classic that deserves to be read more.

I was forced to read this book twice,back in the 70's and 80's for school and my university degree.I hardly can say I enjoyed reading the book then.Now with a new,improved translation(3 of this book from original Italian) I understand the book better and what he was writing about.This book is a must read in this modern political climate in 2020.You can just substitute modern political names in places and see the strategy they are using.

This is a great translation of the work which is true to its original, coherent and concise. Machiavelli's Prince is frequently misquoted and misrepresented by modern day experts and the common person. The term 'Machiavellian' often crops up in news articles as synonymous to 'devious' and 'scheming', but there is greater analytical value to be found in the term from tracing it to its roots in this work. The metaphors of the lion and the fox; the importance of appearing to be moral coupled with pragmatic cynicism; the value of fear and love alongside the avoidance of hatred are all major arguments in the work. These arguments appear alongside vivid stories from classical and contemporary examples which harmoniously amalgamate into the creation of a coherent Prince's handbook for Lorenzo d'Medici which is useful in analysing modern day politics.

Niccolo Machiavelli's book was written in the mid 16th century; this is a later translation from the 17th century converted into ebook format. There are a couple of issues with the format on the Kindle; some missing page breaks, and some odd sentence breaks. The ebook version also includes a couple of additional items written by Machiavelli later in his life."The Prince" of the title is merely a generic label for a leader, rather than a given level of nobility. The main book is a study of the concept of leadership, and particularly the application of politics within a nation or state. It is based upon a very careful study of the leaders of the time, especially within Italy and from the classical period of Greece and Rome. Although written some 500 years ago, most of the precepts can be seen to have been relevant throughout the intervening period and in many ways are still pertinent today.In fact some of the material could equally be applied within large organisations; examine the biographies of some of the most famous business leaders and entrepeneurs, and you will see many of the factors that enabled them to rise up being the same that Machiavelli identified as being desirable in a great leader. It does perhaps portray a certain level of cynicism and certainly indicates the ruthlessness that is required to become a political figure; and it is this that has made the name of Machiavelli synonymous with political intrigue.In many ways, this book is to political governance, what Sun-Tzu's "Art of War" was to the concept of military leadership. Careful study will reveal a lot of valuable advice and information; and although not the easiest book to read, the end result is well worth the effort.

This fascinating, elegant book was based on a terrible time for Italy when the Borgias ruled the Vatican, blood engulfed the peninsula and Leonardo was managing to keep out of trouble and was painting the Last Supper. Machiavelli deeply admired the rampaging Cesare Borgia and describes him as "a man of great courage and high intentions, and he could not have conducted himself other than the way he did". Five hundred years later, Italy still reels under factionalism and mistrust and Silvio Berlusconi would be described by some in the same terms that Machiavelli used for the ruthless Borgia. To admire such people, Machiavelli was realistic rather than amoral. As he says, "the fact is that a man who wants to act virtuously in every way necessarily comes to grief among so many who are not virtuous". He is telling us that we are naive if we think we leave ourselves open to other people. Being kind and generous, he explains, can get you into big trouble (and five hundred years ago that could mean ending up dead). As he says: "one can be hated just as much for good deeds as for evil ones". Recently tortured and imprisoned himself, Machiavelli knew the risks that he was writing about. But despite all that he writes in a chipper tone. As has been said before, The Prince could serve as a guide to modern office politics as well as being a survival guide in blood-thirsty times.

One of the first books I read for fun (as opposed to academically) was The Prince. At the time it came across as crisp & pithy, but more like a manual for politics than a living, breathing text (similar to Sun Tzu's The Art of War).The fantastic thing about this Audio book is that it brings the cadences of The Prince to life. Whereas the book is pretty much dredged for advice & the anecdotes are disgarded, Ian Richardson's presence forces you to engage with his story & with the fascinatingly varied life of Machiavelli. As the other reviewer has said "the late Ian Richardson of House of Cards fame is exactly the right voice for this piece". I would add that his qualities as an actor bring clarity & vivid detail to what is otherwise a political textbook.And what did Machiavelli live through? Some of the most Interesting times (in all senses!) in Medieval Italian politics, when the Pope, Venetia, France & Spain all vied for dominance of Italy (& all eventually failed in some regard). It is in this backdrop provides fruitful material for Machiavelli to dissect. At each stage Machiavelli states how the states work, what things they did right & what failures lead to their downfall.As a memorable example, there was the French, who had recently freed themselves of the English & were one of two dominant powers on the Continent. In the early 1500's they invaded Italy (at the invitation of the Pope) & humbled the Venetians. Crucially, they also proved initially popular & were well set to subjudgate 2/3's of Italy. Then they made their major mistake of inviting Spain to split the Kingdom of Naples.Couple this with their building of Forts, rather than winning over the populus & you can quickly see (through Machiavelli's incisive analysis) why France lost its immense gains as quickly as it had gained them.And the best part was the ending, where he appeals for a united Italy. In the book this comes over rather plainly, but with Ian Richardson's compelling reading, you really feel the depth of feeling that Machiavelli wished to convey.My one criticism is that the intense analysis is not ideal if you're listening in the car. To understand the analysis fully it needs your full attention (which may not be possible if you're doing something else at the time). However, this is relatively trivial since you can get the jist of it & read the book itself if you want more detail. There is also nothing to stop you purely listening to it for pleasure - it is only 3 CD's after all...So, definitely a worthwhile purchase & a valuable insight into the passion & intensity of one of history's greatest political commentators. If you like this particular one, then I thoroughly recommend Dawkins' reading of On The Origin of Species. It is always good to hear dry non-fiction brought to life by a narrator.Why?Only a true Machiavellian would understand... The PrinceThe Art of WarThe PrinceOn The Origin of Species

This book is about power and the politics of maintaining it for an individual. It is a classic of Renaissance Literature which inspired hot debate in its day and continues to exercise us now. This translation by Peter Bondanello is marvellous and really makes the work accessible and makes it seem incredibly modern and pertinent.The book is written as a kind of rhetorical set piece, supposedly to the head of the Medici family in which Machiavelli purports to curry favour and gain a position of his own by explaining how someone powerful might go about becoming the saviour of Italy from the ravages of the foreign invaders it was suffering from at the time.The Introduction by Maurizio Viroli is well worth reading, explaining some of the more complex issues and high lighting key themes in the text. He also debates whether this was in fact a begging letter from Machiavelli or more a show of skill on his part for the sake of skill itself.My one criticism would be that the idea of 'virtu' is here translated as 'virtue', and further readings (particularly of the excellent OUP A Very Short Introduction To) show that the Renaissance idea of 'virtu' and our modern definition of 'virtue' are not the same, and yet the idea of 'virtu' is what a great deal of Machiavellian thought hinges upon.

Fantastic book, although some parts are a bit tongue-in cheek ( if he was in prison at that time and had his arms ripped off, how did he write the book) Well there could be many explanations for that and each reader should see into it what they think fits the story line.I think the book is a very good read and would highly recommend to all!

Amazon's famous review merging has tricked me again. If you order from this site be warned it could turn out into a completely unprofessional and tacky version. The book I purchased is in awful condition, slanted printing with missing words and bad translations. The cover is just copy-pasted on with low quality image. Chapters sometimes started at middle or bottom of page with no care. Looks like a chinese rip-off.

One of my favourite books, really interesting read particularly taking into consideration the time it was written in, and not too long.I would say this is an essential read for anyone studying politics, history, or social science as it gives a really good explanation of the types of dictatorships that can arise

The book was very good. However, it was difficult to understand everything at once.The names are many and varied and since they are from Italy, some read hard to pronounce.That aside, the insights are great and has really open my way of thinking and how to analyze situations