Other editions of book The Prince

The Prince, by Niccolo Machiavelli, is one of the most read political treatises in the history of man. Written in 1513, Machiavelli wrote the treatise during a time of great political conflict in Italy. Using his philosophical beliefs as a basis, he scribed an informative exposition that details methods an hopeful or existing prince can use to acquire or maintain his throne. The Prince contains ten sections written to help states understand how to control their principalities and maintain power by means of force. The treatise also details methods to gain further power, also through force. The first section covers Defense and Military. Machiavelli teaches states how to defend themselves and the most efficient way to attack and gain power. The second section speaks about the Reputation of a Prince; Machiavelli writes that “a man who strives after goodness in all his acts is sure to come to ruin, since there are so many men who are not good.” Therefore, a prince should not worry about being perceived as good, but rather be concerned about what is best for his state. Further sections concern topics like Generosity versus Parsimony, Cruelty versus Mercy (it is safer to be feared than loved), In What Way Princes should Keep Their Word, Avoiding Contempt and Hatred, Gaining Honors, Nobles and Staff, Avoiding Flatterers, and Fortune. The Prince has influenced many political leaders and philosophers, including Napoleon, Mussolini, and Stalin. The book is the root of the term “Machiavellian” which means “suggestive of or characterized by expediency, deceit, and cunning.” Nevertheless, it is apparent that whatever Machiavelli’s intentions, he did believe in a strong, powerful central government and The Prince mirrors his probable philosophical ideals. Title: The Prince Author: Niccolo Machiavelli Version: Unabridged Language: English Reader: Various Format: MP3 Audio CD Tracks / Chapters: 16 Chapters Total running time: 05:47:02

"Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli (1469 - 1527) was an Italian Renaissance historian, politician, diplomat, philosopher, humanist, and writer. He has often been called the founder of modern political science. He was for many years a senior official in the Florentine Republic, with responsibilities in diplomatic and military affairs. He also wrote comedies, carnival songs, and poetry. His personal correspondence is renowned in the Italian language. He was secretary to the Second Chancery of the Republic of Florence from 1498 to 1512, when the Medici were out of power. He wrote his most renowned work The Prince (Il Principe) in 1513. ""Machiavellianism"" is a widely used negative term to characterize unscrupulous politicians of the sort Machiavelli described most famously in The Prince. Machiavelli described immoral behavior, such as dishonesty and killing innocents, as being normal and effective in politics. He even seemed to endorse it in some situations. The book itself gained notoriety when some readers claimed that the author was teaching evil, and providing ""evil recommendations to tyrants to help them maintain their power."" The term ""Machiavellian"" is often associated with political deceit, deviousness, and realpolitik. On the other hand, many commentators, such as Baruch Spinoza, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Denis Diderot, have argued that Machiavelli was actually a Republican, even when writing The Prince, and his writings were an inspiration to Enlightenment proponents of modern democratic political philosophy."

"Machiavellianism" is a widely used negative term to characterize unscrupulous politicians of the sort Machiavelli described most famously in The Prince.The Catholic Church banned The Prince. Humanists also viewed the book negatively. As a treatise, its primary intellectual contribution to the history of political thought is the fundamental break between political realism and political idealism, due to it being a manual on acquiring and keeping political power."Those who strive to obtain the good graces of a prince are accustomed to come before him with such things as they hold most precious, or in which they see him take most delight; whence one often sees horses, arms, cloth of gold, precious stones, and similar ornaments presented to princes, worthy of their greatness. Desiring therefore to present myself to your Magnificence with some testimony of my devotion towards you, I have not found among my possessions anything which I hold more dear than, or value so much as, the knowledge of the actions of great men, acquired by long experience in contemporary affairs, and a continual study of antiquity; which, having reflected upon it with great and prolonged diligence, I now send, digested into a little volume, to your Magnificence." (From the author's dedication to "To the Magnificent Lorenzo Di Piero De' Medici.")

When Machiavelli’s brief treatise on Renaissance statecraft and princely power was posthumously published in 1532, it generated a debate that has raged unabated until the present day. Based upon Machiavelli’s first-hand experience as an emissary of the Florentine Republic to the courts of Europe, The Prince analyzes the usually violent means by which men seize, retain, and lose political power. Machiavelli added a dimension of incisive realism to one of the major philosophical and political issues of his time, especially the relationship between public deeds and private morality. His book provides a remarkably uncompromising picture of the true nature of power, no matter in what era or by whom it is exercised.

Machiavellian adj. elaborately cunning; scheming, unscrupulous.Machiavellianism n. (N. dei Machiavello, Florentine statesman and political writer d. 1527, who advocated resort to morally questionable methods in the interests of the State).How remarkable that an Italian living in the 15th and 16th centuries should lend his name to a word still in common usage in the English language today.The Prince has remained a prominent classic ever since its publication in 1513; valued for its shrewd psychological insight, powerful words and prophetic quality. And even today, it has never lost its power to shock and influence.Ian Richardson played machiavellian Francis Urquhart in the hit TV series The House of Cards, To Play the King and The Final Cut. His formidable reading of this modern unabridged translation is an accessible and entertaining way in to a truly compelling world view.

Here is the world's most famous master plan for seizing and holding power. Astonishing in its candor "The Prince" even today remains a disturbingly realistic and prophetic work on what it takes to be a prince . . . a king . . . a president. When, in 1512, Machiavelli was removed from his post in his beloved Florence, he resolved to set down a treatise on leadership that was practical, not idealistic. . . "The Prince" . . .has become essential reading for every student of government, and is the ultimate book on power politics.

“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.

An obscure civil servant, dead for nearly 500 years, author of but one major work, yet whose name is still in common use. Remarkable? Not when the civil servant is Nicolo Machiavelli, and when the book is The Prince. Written in 1513 as a gift for the ruling prince, Lorenzo de Medici, The Prince has retained its reputation as one of the most perceptive analyses on politics and power ever written. Valued for its brilliant writing, shrewd psychological insight, canny advice, and prophetic qualities, it has never lost its power to shock and influence, or to illuminate the heart of darkness. It is essential reading for anyone who wants to know the real meaning of "political hardball." Ian Richardson's formidable reading of this unabridged translation is an accessible and entertaining introduction to Machiavelli's truly compelling, eerily prescient worldview.