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Paperback The Prince Book

ISBN: 1503379647

ISBN13: 9781503379640

The Prince

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Book Overview

The Prince is a 16th-century political treatise by the Italian diplomat and political theorist Niccol 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."-Machiavelli, "Chapter 15"

Customer Reviews

customer rating | review

Rated 3 stars
Overrated but still worth the read.

The Prince by Machiavelli is a book written in 1513 as a guide for Princes on how to rule either new principalities or old ones. It's an interesting book, but a simple one. As an introductory course on Realpolitik it works well, but most of the things he says you'll already know. He'll also just be wrong at certain times like when he talks about Military Matters that he very clearly doesn't understand. However this book does...

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Rated 5 stars
amazing all over

machiavelli wrote one of the most influential pieces of literature during the 16th century and i’m proud to say that i’ve read it and enjoyed it.

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Rated 5 stars
Prince review

This is a must read for literate thinking persons. I have enjoyed the historical setting introduction to the text. It was a valuable enlightenment into the character of Machiavelli, and the events occureing in the nations during Machiavelli's life. Many of the things he speaks of, a person can see repeated or reflected in politics in our world history in the succeeding centuries since Machiavelli's time. A worthwhile way to...

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Rated 5 stars
A Simple Book, Yet It Holds The Answers To Politics

Machiavelli's The Prince is one of the classic books to center the ideas of gaining and holding power in political life and what a "Prince" must do to not only accomplish these tasks, but do them successfully. This version of the book is a great copy to use and carry around because Penguin has made this short book into a very small compact size, while not compromising text size and even leaving some room to write in the margins...

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Rated 5 stars
The virtues of Machiavelli

In the course of my political science training, I studied at great length the modern idea of realpolitik. In that study I came to realise that it was somewhat incomplete, without the companionship of The Prince, by Niccolo Machiavelli, a Florentine governmental official in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. The Prince is an oft quoted, oft mis-quoted work, used as the philosophical underpinning for much of what...

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De Principatibus / Il Principe Mentions in Our Blog

De Principatibus / Il Principe in The May Birthday Blog
The May Birthday Blog
Published by Ashly Moore Sheldon • April 29, 2025

Treat your May-born friends and family to a bookish birthday! Did you know you can schedule ThriftBooks e-Gift Cards to be delivered on a specific date? Or If you'd rather give your May mate something special, we've put together a list of some of the hottest titles of the moment. Plus, learn about literary luminaries born this month.

De Principatibus / Il Principe in In the Game of Life, Play Chess, Not Checkers
In the Game of Life, Play Chess, Not Checkers
Published by William Shelton • December 08, 2020
For people unfamiliar with the game of chess, they can often be intimidated or bored by the prospect of trying it, but we know more about the game than we recognize, and we often "play" the game more than we realize. Luckily, the rules and strategies have been covered by several experts in books, and beyond that, the elements of the game can be understood through literature like that of Machiavelli. Learn more about this fascinating game with these book picks.
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