The Prince

As a young Florentine envoy to the courts of France and the Italian principalities, Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527) was able to observe firsthand the lives of people strongly united under one powerful ruler. His fascination with that political rarity and his intense desire to see the Medici family assume a similar role in Italy provided the foundation for his primer for princes. In this classic guide to acquiring and maintaining political power, Machiavelli used a rational approach to advise prospective rulers, developing logical arguments and alternatives for a number of potential problems, among them governing hereditary monarchies, dealing with colonies and the treatment of conquered peoples. Refreshing in its directness, yet often disturbing in its cold practicality, The Prince sets down a frighteningly pragmatic formula for political fortune. Starkly relevant to the political upheavals of the 20th century, this calculating prescription for power remains today, nearly 500 years after it was written, a timely and startling lesson in the practice of autocratic rule that continues to be much read and studied by students, scholars and general readers as well.

Author: Niccolò Machiavelli
Publisher: Dover Publications
Published: 09/21/1992
Pages: 80
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.15lbs
Size: 8.38h x 5.26w x 0.20d
ISBN: 9780486272740

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 9.3
Point Value: 7
Interest Level: Upper Grade
Quiz #/Name: 167222 / Prince

About the Author
The father of modern political theory, Machiavelli proposed that theological imperatives have no place in the political arena -- a revolutionary concept for 16th-century Italy. Even though his philosophy is often misunderstood, Machiavelli's works offer fascinating insights into Renaissance government.

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