num_pages: 106
description: 
  'One must be a fox in order to recognise traps, and a lion to frighten off wolves'
The Prince shocked Europe on publication with its advocacy of ruthless tactics for gaming absolute power and its abandonment of conventional morality. Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527) came to be regarded by some as an agent of the Devil and his name taken for the intriguer 'Machevill' of Jacobean tragedy. For his treatise on statecraft Machiavelli drew upon his own experience of office under the turbulent Florentine republic, rejecting traditional values of political theory and recognising the complicated, transient nature of political life. Concerned not with lofty ideals but with a regime that would last, The Prince has become the bible of realpolitik, and still retains its power to alarm and to instruct.In this edition Machiavelli's tough-minded and pragmatic Italian is preserved in George Bull's clear, unambiguous translation, while Anthony Grafton's introduction depicts Machiavelli's world of power struggles and intrigue, and discusses his role as a political teacher of Europe.
language: English
title: The Prince
titlecomplete: The Prince
characters: Pope Alexander VI, Cesare Borgia, Theseus (mythology), Francesco Sforza I, Louis XII of France, Niccolò Machiavelli, Alexander the Great
genres: Literature, History, Classics, School, Italian Literature, Philosophy, Italy, Politics, Political Science, Nonfiction
ratings_count: 324620
awards: awardedAt: 252489600000
name: National Book Award Finalist
category: Translation
publisher: Penguin Classics