The Prince (Oxford World's Classics)

The media could not be loaded. This book was eye opening. His take on leadership and power is ruthless but surprisingly practical. It’s not about idealism, it’s about what actually works when it comes to gaining and maintaining power. Some of the ideas might seem controversial or even cold blooded, but they’re grounded in a deep understanding of human nature and politics. Whether you’re studying history, business, or just interested in how leaders think and act, this book offers valuable lessons. Definitely a classic worth reading if you want to understand the complexities of leadership.

I'm an academic, so I have a critical eye to the classics. I judge books like this by their extra features and the translation. The former for this book has great supplements and footnotes that are neatly sectioned off in the appendix. So if you insist the notes are on the page they are referenced, this is not for you. You'll get a footnote number and then you'll have to find it in the back of the book. For me, this setup is fine. In a way, it does not interrupt the flow. Also, the print is bigger than another version I have. I enjoyed that too. In my opinion, the translations don't vary too much among the go-to translators. This translator sought to improve an already legendary translator's works and I think they actually did take it up a notch whilst making it readable for the modern scholar. Well done by a brand you can trust: Oxford.

The Prince is a book that must be read with knowledge of the context of its times. Because so many people have read it without this much of Machiavelli's book just comes off as mean-spirited, calculating, and cruel. The best way to read this book is to see it as a sort of job application or demonstration of the concept. Machiavelli was a mid-level government official in the Florentine Republic until it was overthrown by an invasion from France and a restoration of the Medici rulers. After this happened, the new government forced Machiavelli into exile. It was from exile that he wrote this slim book on how a prince should get power and maintain it. This book was written from a realist perspective. Machiavelli was a staunch supporter of the Florentine republic and he makes clear in the Prince that he believes that republics are the single best form of government. But his attitude seems to be that while a Republic is the best form of government if you have a prince or an oligarchy in charge, you may as well make the best of it. Contrary to popular belief, Machiavelli never wrote about the ends justifying the means but he was a proponent of a prince being effective and maintaining his power in whatever way he could. This meant that one could not always be a good person. The prince a surprisingly short read but within it is a wealth of information that gives the reader insight into Renaissance politics as well as the political thinking of one of its most well-known authors.

There’s a great deal of information in this book. There are side notes for the vernacular that Machiavelli uses. For example certain phrases wouldn’t make sense to us today so with this translation we get what he’s actual saying instead of some weird phase that would only make sense if your from his time period. Great read thoroughly enjoyed this book.

A must read for all students of modern-day politics and international relationships. One can learn several lessons on power dynamics.

With all of the different translations of this classic available it can be difficult to decide which one to purchase. I would highly recommend this one above the others because of the authors long experience with the subject matter. This was not his first attempt to translate the original. As I recall the first time was about thirty years earlier. The introduction to this book is some 70 pages long and is invaluable to the reader as it puts one into the time frame and perspective of the original author, Machiavelli.I am pleased to have finally read The Prince and recommend this edition highly.

Excellent book for art history, since this book deals mostly with the art of war. If this is your first "pre-modern" book then it might be better to look at a brief summary first beforehand so you have a feel for the book first.

Everyone should read at least once in their lifetime! As prolific today as when originally published!Thank you