The Machiavellian Enterprise : A Commentary on the Prince [Hardcover]

Leo Paul S. de Alvarez (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1999

This chapter-by-chapter commentary on "The Prince" seeks to provide a unified understanding of Machiavelli's political thought. Illuminating difficult passages, the author reveals the structure of what he calls "the Machiavellian enterprise". He traces the emergence of a carefully crafted argument that culminates in the final chapter.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A thorough analysis. De Alvarez provides extraordinary guidance in explaining the intricate unity of the work.”—Perspectives on Political Science

"A magnificent study of Machiavelli's The Prince."—Vickie Sullivan, author of Machiavelli's Three Romes

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 205 pages
• Publisher: Northern Illinois University Press (May 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0875802478
• ISBN-13: 978-0875802473
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,074,611 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally!, April 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Machiavellian Enterprise : A Commentary on the Prince (Hardcover)

Leo Paul deAlvarez has finally released the book that many people have been eager to read for the past several years. Called the "Master of Machiavelli" by one of his students, deAlvarez has the uncanny ability to discern the many strands of the artful web of writing woven by the wiling Florentine. When we see that Machiavelli's primary audience are those thinkers who came after him, we begin to see the magnitude of his enterprise. He seeks to rule all those who come after him by keeping them ignorant of classical thought. Just how he accomplishes this task is now more exposed because of the work of deAlvarez. Dogmatic Pocockian Republicans will be aghast, but so will those who fail to see that the true evil of Machiavelli is his obfuscation philosophy.

Cosimo Rucellai

3 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Necessary yet insuffucient, June 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Machiavellian Enterprise : A Commentary on the Prince (Hardcover)

But what book about Machaivelli could possibly be sufficient? Only "a commentary consisting of many volumes" could accomplish that.

Nonetheless, this book is almost sufficient for understanding The Prince. One can only hope that de Alvarez is busy preparing a commentary on the Discourses.

Cosimo: send me an e-mail. I would love to discuss this book with someone who knows what he's talking about.