Machiavelli and his friends
Subtitle: their personal correspondence
By: [Niccolò Machiavelli] ; translated and edited by James B. Atkinson and David Sices.
Contributors: Atkinson, James B., 1934-; Sices, David.
Publisher: Northern Illinois University Press
Published: 1996
Place of publication: Dekalb, Ill
Language: eng
Number of pages: 621
Subjects: Machiavelli, Niccolò, 1469-1527 -- Correspondence.; Intellectuals -- Italy -- Correspondence.; Statesmen -- Italy -- Correspondence.; Authors, Italian -- 16th century -- Correspondence.; Florence (Italy) -- Politics and government -- 1421-1737.
Description: The intimate world of Niccolo Machiavelli comes to life in this first complete collection in English of the letters he wrote and received. Spanning his adult life from 1497 until his death in 1527, these letters to and from his friends and compatriots - some of whom, such as Francesco Guicciardini and Francesco Vettori, were among the most influential thinkers of the day - reveal his personality and present a panorama of life, people, and critical events in Renaissance Italy.

The correspondence offers valuable insight into the origins of Machiavelli's ideas on history, politics, literature, and society and the social context from which his achievements arose. Often his correspondence served as a testing ground for ideas he developed more fully in his writing. While the letters taken together show Machiavelli both living within and transcending his own time, on a more intimate level they reveal the human element that helped to shape his thought.

Machiavelli emerges as an individual with multifaceted capabilities and a multitude of roles, among them devoted humanist, political analyst, shrewd rhetorician, and practical joker.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [569]-573) and index.