Witty, informative, and devilishly shrewd,
The Prince
is Machiavelli's classic analysis of statesmanship and power.
“It is best to be both feared and loved, however, if one cannot be both, it is better to be feared than loved.”
—Machiavelli
For over four hundred years,
has been the basic handbook of politics, statesmanship, and power. Written by a Florentine nobleman whose name has become a synonym for crafty plotting, it is a fascinating political and social document, as pertinent today as when it first appeared. After a lifetime of winning and losing at the game of politics, Machiavelli set down for all time its ageless rules and moves, in this highly readable formula for the man who seeks power. At a time before modern democracy, Machiavelli was less concerned with right and wrong than with currying favor with the ruling Medicis, and his work came to be thought of as a blueprint for dictators.
has long been required reading for those interested in politics and power, and it has long since become one of the world's most significant books.
With an Afterword by Regina Barreca