The Prince

That Machiavelli’s name has become synonymous with cold-eyed political calculation only heightens the intrinsic fascination of The Prince—the world’s preeminent how-to manual on the art of getting and keeping power and one of the literary landmarks of the Italian Renaissance. Written in a vigorous, straightforward style that reflects its author’s realism, this treatise on states, statecraft, and the ideal ruler is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand how human society actually works.

NICCOLÒ MACHIAVELLI (1469-1527) was a Florentine statesman who was forced out of public life. He then devoted himself to studying and writing political philosophy, history, fiction, and drama.