Prince

Product Description

Niccolo Machiavelli's brutally uncompromising manual of statecraft The Prince" is translated & edited with an introduction by Tim Parks in " Penguin Classics". As a diplomat in turbulent fifteenth-century Florence Niccolo Machiavelli knew how quickly political fortunes could rise & fall. " The Prince" his tough-minded pragmatic handbook on how power really works made his name notorious & has remained controversial ever since. How can a leader be strong & decisive yet still inspire loyalty in his followers? When is it necessary to break the rules? Is it better to be feared than loved? Examining regimes & their rulers the world over & throughout history from Roman Emperors to renaissance Popes from Hannibal to Cesare di Borgia Machievalli answers all these questions in a work of realpolitik that still has shrewd political lessons for today. Tim Parks' acclaimed contemporary translation renders Machiavelli's no-nonsense original as alarming & enlightening as when it was first written. His introduction discusses Machiavelli's life & reputation & explores the historical background to the work. Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) was born in Florence & served the Florentine republic as a secretary & second chancellor as ambassador & foreign policy-maker. When the Medici family returned to power in 1512 he was suspected of conspiracy imprisoned & tortured & forced to retire from public life. His most famous work " The Prince" was written in an attempt to gain favour with the Medicis & return to politics. If you enjoyed " The Prince" you might like Plato's " Republic" also available in " Penguin Classics". "A gripping work & a gripping translation". (Nicholas Lezard " Guardian"). " Tim Parks' swift & supple new translation brings out all its chilling modernity". (Boyd Tonkin " Independent")."