The Prince (Paperback)

A fundamental work for understanding modern political thought in a paperback edition.

From the founder of political science, the one who first understood that power was not granted by God, but that it is temporal.

A fundamental classic in the history of modern political thought, The Prince derives from observations made by Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527) while serving as a diplomat. Rejecting the traditional values of political theory, Machiavelli drew on his experience in the turbulent Republic of Florence to write this book, which describes how the perfect prince (or ruler) should act. Written during the author's exile and originally published in 1513, the work is a collection of reflections on the state and the conquest and preservation of power. A reference among diplomats and statesmen, The Prince is indispensable for those who wish to understand how power is acquired, maintained, or lost, and also to learn a little more about this great thinker, whose work is one of the finest expressions of the cultural universe of the Renaissance.