|
|
Amazon.com's Price: $7.00 Prices subject to change.Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping.
Binding: PaperbackDewey Decimal Number: 320.01 EAN: 9780140449150 ISBN: 0140449159 Label: Penguin Classics Manufacturer: Penguin Classics Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 144 Publication Date: February 04, 2003 Publisher: Penguin Classics Release Date: February 04, 2003 Studio: Penguin Classics Editorial Review: Amazon.com Review: When Lorenzo de' Medici seized control of the Florentine Republic in 1512, he summarily fired the Secretary to the Second Chancery of the Signoria and set in motion a fundamental change in the way we think about politics. The person who held the aforementioned office with the tongue-twisting title was none other than Niccolò Machiavelli, who, suddenly finding himself out of a job after 14 years of patriotic service, followed the career trajectory of many modern politicians into punditry. Unable to become an on-air political analyst for a television network, he only wrote a book. But what a book The Prince is. Its essential contribution to modern political thought lies in Machiavelli's assertion of the then revolutionary idea that theological and moral imperatives have no place in the political arena. "It must be understood," Machiavelli avers, "that a prince ... cannot observe all of those virtues for which men are reputed good, because it is often necessary to act against mercy, against faith, against humanity, against frankness, against religion, in order to preserve the state." With just a little imagination, readers can discern parallels between a 16th-century principality and a 20th-century presidency. --Tim Hogan Product Description: Rejecting the traditional values of political theory, Machiavelli drew upon his own experiences of office in the turbulent Florentine republic to write his celebrated treatise on statecraft. While Machiavelli was only one of the many Florentine "prophets of force," he differed from the ruling elite in recognizing the complexity and fluidity of political life. Translated by George Bull Introduction by Anthony Grafton Book Description: A new translation of Machiavelli's political classic argues that the work was an attack on the advice-books for princes published by his contemporaries as well as a response to the world of Florentine politics. Average Rating:
 Rating:  - Hard to followAlways heard about the man and the book but it was difficult trying to follow and understand. Gave up three quarters of the way through. Did learn a little something though. Rating:  - The Giant of the Self-Help GenreForget about Covey and the habits of highly effective people and any other book you have ever glanced at to try to pick yourself up and guide yourself out of the rat race and have a look at the greatest specimen ever conceived of the self-help genre. The Prince is a mysterious, multi-layered magnum opus with shocking and provocative insights into politics, psychology, religion, and life. Not for the lazy or shallow reader. Rating: - A Poor TranslationThis review was submitted on the web page presenting Mansfield's translation. I have been using Wootton's translation of The Prince in a university program where the texts are set by the faculty. This year we changed to the Mansfield translation and I've requested that we return to Wootton's. In his attempt to provide an "accurate" translation of the Italian, Mansfield made the mistake of many translators in overlooking the clarity of his English prose. For ... Read More Rating: - mc reviewI ordered this book for a college class. It arrived on time and in great condition. Rating: - The Recipe of the American Corporate StateMachiavelli's "The Prince" is a guide of morality-void techniques for acquiring and maintaining political power and ultimately, political fortune. Written nearly 500 years ago, this blueprint for tyranny is just as relevant today. As his compass, Machiavelli uses history, both ancient and contemporary. In 500 years, no one has proven him wrong. Here's a flavor for you innocents out there: "For, in truth, there is no sure way of holding other than by destroying, and whoever becomes master of a City ... Read More |
