Books with author Niccolò Machiavelli

The Art of War (Dell'arte della guerra), is one of the lesser-read works of Florentine statesman and political philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli. The format of 'The Art of War' was in socratic dialogue. The purpose, declared by Fabrizio (Machiavelli's persona) at the outset, "To honor and reward virtù, not to have contempt for poverty, to esteem the modes and orders of military discipline, to constrain citizens to love one another, to live without factions, to esteem less the private than the public good." To these ends, Machiavelli notes in his preface, the military is like the roof of a palazzo protecting the contents. Written between 1519 and 1520 and published the following year, it was the only historical or political work printed during Machiavelli's lifetime, though he was appointed official historian of Florence in 1520 and entrusted with minor civil duties.

“No epitaph can match so great a name,” reads the inscription on Niccolò Machiavelli’s tomb in the church of Santa Croce in Florence. Such praise of the notorious author of The Prince, the “teacher of evil,” according to Leo Strauss, may seem misplaced to those with only a passing knowledge of one of history’s most famous political philosophers and theorists. Ever since Machiavelli penned his 1513 treatise on princely rule and the politics of reality, a work that infamously advises rulers to abandon virtue and morality when necessary, his name has been synonymous with deceit, duplicity and amoral pragmatism. In 1559, the text was unsurprisingly registered to the Index Librorum Prohibitorum, the Catholic Church’s list of banned books, on the grounds of immorality, and Shakespeare dubbed him the “murderous Machiavel” in the 1590s, a mere six decades after his death in 1527. Since then, a sinister reputation has posthumously plagued the controversial Florentine, and the accusation of being “Machiavellian,” an overused and typically misapplied adjective, is a charge of behaving in a cunning, scheming and unscrupulous way. But is this depiction of Machiavelli as wicked and immoral accurate? Like most historical figures, Machiavelli was a creature of his time, and his works have distinct historical identities - written for a particular culture in a particular time. Machiavelli was a public servant during the Republic who lost his office when the Medicis returned to power, yet Machiavelli dedicated The Prince to the ruling Medici of the time, leading many over the centuries to speculate that The Prince was a satire. 20th century French philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty went so far as to assert, “Machiavelli is the complete contrary of a machiavellian, since he describes the tricks of power and ‘gives the whole show away.’ The seducer and the politician, who live in the dialectic and have a feeling and instinct for it, try their best to keep it hidden.” . Regardless, The Prince remains one of the most influential political philosophies of history, and Machiavelli himself will forever be associated with the “ends justify the means” philosophy that he wrote about. Either way, understanding the significance of his writings and their place in the history of political theory requires exploring the world in which Machiavelli lived and worked, tracing his diplomatic career, his encounters with some of Italy’s most influential rulers, and the financial desperation and ignominy he suffered in exile from his native city.

Voltaire said, "Machiavelli taught Europe the art of war; it had long been practiced, without being known." For Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527), war was war, and victory the supreme aim to which all other considerations must be subordinated. The Art of War is far from an anachronism—its pages outline fundamental questions that theorists of war continue to examine today, making it essential reading for any student of military history, strategy, or theory. Machiavelli believed The Art of War to be his most important work.

THE PRINCE (Italian: Il Principe) is a 16th-century political treatise by the Italian diplomat and political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli. From correspondence a version appears to have been distributed in 1513, using a Latin title, De Principatibus (About Principalities). However, the printed version was not published until 1532, five years after Machiavelli's death. This was done with the permission of the Medici pope Clement VII, but "long before then, in fact since the first appearance of the Prince in manuscript, controversy had swirled about his writings". Although it was written as if it were a traditional work in the mirrors for princes style, it is generally agreed that it was especially innovative. This is only partly because it was written in the vernacular Italian rather than Latin, a practice which had become increasingly popular since the publication of Dante's Divine Comedy and other works of Renaissance literature. THE PRINCE is sometimes claimed to be one of the first works of modern philosophy, especially modern political philosophy, in which the effective truth is taken to be more important than any abstract ideal. It was also in direct conflict with the dominant Catholic and scholastic doctrines of the time concerning how to consider politics and ethics. Although it is relatively short, the treatise is the most remembered of Machiavelli's works and the one most responsible for bringing the word "Machiavellian" into usage as a pejorative. It also helped make "Old Nick" an English term for the devil, and even contributed to the modern negative connotations of the words "politics" and "politician" in western countries. In terms of subject matter it overlaps with the much longer Discourses on Livy, which was written a few years later. In its use of near-contemporary Italians as examples of people who perpetrated criminal deeds for politics, another lesser-known work by Machiavelli which THE PRINCE has been compared to is the Life of Castruccio Castracani. The descriptions within THE PRINCE have the general theme of accepting that the aims of princes-such as glory and survival-can justify the use of immoral means to achieve those ends: "He who neglects what is done for what ought to be done, sooner effects his ruin than his preservation."

Niccolo 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 book shelf.

The Prince is a treatise that systematically charts the best strategies for successful governing. It unapologetically places realism above idealism, showing would-be kings how to get what they want while appearing to be generous and honourable, and advocates that the means cruelty, duplicity and horror justify the ends of secure monarchical rule. But it can also be read as the work of a secret republican subtly undermining the despotism of the ruling Medici family.

As a manual on realpolitik, this sixteenth-century work has provoked more heated debates than any other political treatise. While it rejects lofty ideals, it nonetheless derives valuable insights from the author’s first-hand experience as a respected envoy of Florence. Italy in the renaissance period was a battleground of warring factions, both within states and without, so successful governance was no easy task. Niccolò Machiavelli examines how princedoms in Renaissance Italy can be effectively governed and maintained. This he does by noting the “…actions of great men, acquired in the course of (his) long experience of modern affairs and a continual study of antiquity.” Arguing from such empirical evidence, he shows what works to achieve stable control, and what does not. Harsh measures are sometimes necessary but contrary to a common misconception held by many of his critics, he warns against ignoring the welfare and goodwill of the populace. Indeed, some commentators feel Machiavelli was unjustly maligned, pointing out that here was a man who was unremitting in his efforts to secure a good and popular government for his native Florence, and who wanted Italy’s honour and pride restored. It was to these ends that he wrote The Prince.