Most Popular Books by Niccolo Machiavelli

Collected here are four of Niccolò Machiavelli''s most important works. ''The Prince'': It was Niccolò Machiavelli who essentially removed ethics from government. He did it with this book, when he asserted that The Prince (president, dictator, prime minister, etc.) does not have to be concerned with ethics, as long as their motivation is to protect the state. It is this questionable belief that in many ways had led to the modern world as we know it. His assertion was that the head of state must protect the state no matter the cost and no matter what rules he or she breaks in the process. If you want to understand modern politics you must read this book. ''The Art of War'': Niccolò Machiavelli considered this book his greatest achievement. Here you will learn how to recruit, train, motivate, and discipline an army. You will learn the difference between strategy and tactics. Machiavelli does a masterful job of breaking down and analyzing historic battles. This book of military knowledge belongs alongside Sun-Tzu on every bookshelf. ''Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livius'': The Discorsi is a series of lessons on how a republic should be started and structured, including the concept of checks and balances, the strength of a tripartite structure, and the superiority of a republic over a principality. Its lessons are as valid today as they were six centuries ago and clear applications of his practical political philosophy can be found in the governments of many democracies today. ''The History of Florence'': Machiavelli''s history of Florence is more a history of the politics of Florence rather than the events of Florence. Written late in life while out of favor with the ruling party; Machiavelli felt that his country could have been the grandest republic in the world''s history, but that it had failed to live up to its full potential. In this book he explained why and how that came to be.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Though better known today as a political theorist than as a dramatist, Machiavelli secured his fame as a giant in the history of Italian comedy more than fifty years before Shakespeare''s comedies delighted English-speaking audiences. This bilingual edition includes all three examples of Machiavelli''s comedic art: sparkling translations of his farcical masterpiece, The Mandrake; of his version of Terence''s The Woman From Andros; and of his Plautus-inspired Clizia--works whose genre afforded Machiavelli a unique vehicle not only for entertaining audiences but for examining virtue amid the twists and turns of fortune.

"Discourses on Livy," which was first published posthumously in 1531, is Niccolo Machiavelli''s analysis of the first ten books of Livy''s monumental work of Roman History, which details the expansion of Rome through the end of the Third Samnite War in 293 BC. Machiavelli believed that by examining the exemplary greatness in Roman history, practical lessons could be applied to the politics of the present day. The Italian renaissance was causing people to look back to the ancients as examples of greatness in the fields of art, law, and medicine. Driven by a motivation to do the same for the field of politics, Machiavelli undertook an examination of the structure and benefit of government in ancient times. "Discourses on Livy" are comprised of three books. In the first book Machiavelli discusses the internal structure of a republic. In the second book he discusses matters of warfare and in the third his attention is turned to matters of individual leadership. An important work of political history and philosophy, "Discourses on Livy" is a must read for any student of political science. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper and follows the translation of Ninian Hill Thomson.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Written while Machiavelli was in exile for allegedly plotting against the Medici clan, "The Mandrake" or "Mandragola" details the corruption of Italian society in a series of increasingly comical scenes that culminate in the cuckolding of a powerful Florentine aristocrat. The author depicts human nature just as he has come to know it, and the sinister fruits of his studies have delighted audiences to this day, for we recognize our own failures in Machiavelli’s creations--characters too quick to compromise personal ethics in order to accommodate a corrupt and demeaning world, too easily persuaded to lie, cheat, swindle, and deceive, or close their eyes to deception, in order to ensure some small improvement in their miserable lives, always espousing the mantra that "the end justifies the means." "The Mandrake" is a powerful comic treatise on immorality, a diagnosis of cultural disease, and perhaps the finest surviving example of the Italian Renaissance comedy of intrigue.

"Political and philosophical commentaries on the republic of ancient Rome from the Renaissance author of The Prince. In Discourses, Italian statesman, philosopher, and writer Niccolò Machiavelli offers a wide-ranging analysis of the democratic underpinnings of the Roman Republic, based on the epic history written by Roman scholar Titus Livy. Focusing on "a republic as the best way to secure the long term stability of states . . . the various discourses contain observations about aspects of governance, political powers, state safety, corruption, and the expansion of powers. They analyze types of governments and how they change over time from both internal and external pressures. The observations provide significant insights into our world today""

Translated by Luigi Ricci, Revised by E.R.P. Vincent, Introduction by Max Lerner

Machiavelli''s Highly Influential Treatise on Political Power This edition of Machiavelli''s masterpiece is carefully edited and formatted to provide you with the best reading experience. We gave the original content of the book a fresh look and design that matches the expectations of the modern reader. This edition also includes: A detailed author''s biography (as a final chapter) that takes you on a journey into the times and environments that shaped the writer''s life. ABOUT THE PRINCE The Prince is a 16th-century political treatise as an instruction guide for new princes and royals. The general theme of The Prince is of accepting that the aims of princes - such as glory and survival - can justify the use of immoral means to achieve those ends. The Prince is one of the first works of modern philosophy, especially modern political philosophy, in which the "effectual" truth is taken to be more important than any abstract ideal. It is also notable for being in direct conflict with the dominant Catholic and scholastic doctrines of the time, particularly those concerning politics and ethics. Enjoy!