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Niccolo's Smile : A Biography of Machiavelli

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Maurizio Viroli is a professor of politics at Princeton and i had the chance to take a class with him last year in which we read Machiavelli's 'The Prince' and his 'Discourses.'

Viroli brings the same charm, wit, and enthusiasm to this book as he did to that class. The words and the language Viroli has mastered are clearly those of an Italian--and in fact, this trivial insight provides much of the liveliness of the book.

Viroli traces the life of 'Il Machia' from his boyhood to his death at an old age. Through this political life, we see the rise and fall of the republic of Florence that Machiavelli was so keen on preserving, and some of the fascinating characters in Florentine history like Duke Valentino.

We also get an original glimpse into Machiavelli's love life (Viroli thankfully refuses to censor the more carnal but revealing phrases in Machiavelli's correspondence), and philosophy of life itself.

Overall, a fast-paced, generally pleasing read.

A useful book, but it suffers the fate of too many translated works. The writing is flat, unemotional and strangely difficult to follow. Italian names trouble the English tongue and the narrative does not flow. Instead, the story jumps and jerks along as though someone edited it with a pair of tailor's scissors. For those of us not fortunate enough to have been born Italian (or to have sat in on Viroli's lectures), it would have been helpful to include a few maps and a glossary of the main characters and events.

This book has an undeniable charm and wit to it and is a valuable addition to our understanding of the life and times of Niccolo Machiavelli. It does not, however, take the place of a more comprehensive biography. I thought the smile business was overdone and would have preferred to hear more about his frown. In a word or two, I found this book slightly frustrating to read. But it did help me see more of the man and less of the demon. I loved the adage "It is better to act and repent than not to act and regret" that Machiavelli used to repeat to his friends. It made me smile.

This is a concise and lively account of Machiavelli's life. It provides the general reader with much needed context and background in order to read Machiavelli's works with any kind of understanding. While there are good scholarly works that can provide the feeling of more intellectual heft, this book should not be underestimated simply because it is easy to read and doesn't require weeks to read.

Machiavelli is one of those brand-name characters that evoke certain reactions in people in such a generalized way that people mistakenly believe they know something about the man and his work. This book can help debunk much of that received nonsense. It is surprising how "modern" a man he was considering he lived nearly 500 years ago.

The author has admiration for Machiavelli's skills as an analyst and as a diplomat, has sympathy for his personal suffering and disappointments, and forgiving in his attitude towards Machiavelli's human failings (the author might not even agree they were failings - they were just human). And that is the book's greatest contribution; it shows its subject as a human being rather than a caricature or a statue.

In any case, I found this to be a very valuable and entertaining book. I recommend it highly. You can draw your own conclusions about the subject and they author's conclusions. But you will have gained a lot in the process of coming to those (now better informed) conclusions.

There are a few helpful maps throughout the book and a suggested reading list at the end. The translation is terrific.

Viroli's concise, readable biography of Niccolo Machiavelli describes the violent times he lived in and the diplomatic missions Machiavelli was assigned, and how he achieved them, often in Machiavelli's own perceptive words.

When the Medici regained control of Florence, Machiavelli lost his diplomatic post which he carried out so ably. After he lost his position Machiaveli spent his time writing about what he learned from his diplomatic activities and from the past. We also learn about Machiavelli's financial problems and his love affairs.

Viroli's account of Machiavelli's diplomatic activities is detailed and fascinating. But his account of Machiavellis financial and love affairs is not so interesting.
Viroli included a chronology of Italian history for background. He also included a few maps, which could have been more detailed.

Viroli concisely depicts the people and tumultuous events of 16th century Italy. This illuminates Machiavelli's 15th and 16th century historical examples, and helps the reader of _The Prince_ and _The Discourses_ to obtain a firmer grasp of Machiavelli's subtle and ephemeral ideas.

Reading Viroli has helped me see that Machiavelli was a man out of season, and that this contrariness is key to understanding his works. Machiavelli saw, and experienced that the tectonic momentum of centuries of declining political and military virtue in Italy (and the rest of the world) could not be reversed by a single man in a single lifetime, whether he be an outcast Secretary of a failed government, like Machiavelli, or a deposed military strongman like Cesare Borgia.

Machiavelli's experience as Secretary fed his scholarship. It led him to understand the changes in peoples and states. Machiavelli reveals that truth very carefully and quietly in books that are seemingly straightforward and brash. The aspiration to rule, he might say, requires blindness to history, and a love of myth. The would be prince can not see that the highest examples of Princes, men who are revered for changing the course of whole nations, were failures and were despised by their contemporaries. Their "revolutions" unfolded over the course of generations as the mass of the people absorbed a new teaching, and a common language.

Every now and then you read a book that brings its subject to life. Having studied Machiavelli from his writings, it helps to now know of his charms. This book contributed to my understanding of his works but more importantly to the background and history of his conversations. A good, quick read... Recommended.

Machiavelli has been unfairly portrayed as the unethical and ultimately immoral original proponent of "realpolitik". By contrast he was a strong patriot of his native Florence, a city-state surrounded by larger, more powerful political entities and forced to participate in various alliances and rivalry's in order to insure it's own political survival.

Known more for "The Prince" (His other writings such as "Discourses on Livy" and "The Art of War" are not as well known) than anything else, Machiavelli was also a great supporter of Florence's republican form of government. He understood that a nation needed it's own citizen army rather than depend on foreign mercenaries or powers for its protection.

This biography written by Maurizion Viroli takes us on a more personal journey through Machiavelli's life. We're exposed to his personal friendships and relationships which show him as a much more sympathetic and ultimately likeable individual.

Understanding his position after his fall from office, one can see why he wrote "The Prince" for Lorenzo Medici. A well written and well translated biography, this is a good starter for anyone interested in the life an background of Machiavelli as well as a decent primer for the political scene of the beginnings of the Italian Wars of the sixteenth century, an event whose occurence is only now being realized as the real beginning of early modern europe.

While this book contains some intriguing information and anecdotes, this occurs far too infrequently. And what points it does make, it makes over and over without illuminating anything new or insightful about them. For instance, Viroli talks about Niccolo's devotion to Florence and its development/protection of a republican society, but he includes very little regarding why his devotion was so strong. General statements were made about his social status and the regional bias in Italy, but no real detail was included. This made the book much less lively than it should have been. And what's worse, in every topic, Viroli has his reader swimming among dozens of names. We hardly get to know any of the supporting characters in any depth.

When I bought this book, I expected to understand Machiavelli's works - specifically, THE PRINCE - better because of this biography. The flaps of the book led me to this belief, but the book did not deliver. It hardly even spoke of THE PRINCE, and never in any detail. Also, considering the number of times Machiavelli's humor is mentioned, the reader rarely stumbles upon anything very witty. This was disappointing, and I'm sure there is more to be said about this fantastic historical figure.

Ever since I was four years old and first laid eyes upon Machiavelli's portait in an encyclopedia, I have been mystified by him. Throughout my education I had always been taught that Machiavelli was not such a nice guy. However, after reading "Niccolo's Smile" I've learned that the real Machiavelli isn't so Machiavellian at all. Besides the fact that he possessed a great mind, he was not only an extremely observant man, but he was also a patriot. "Niccolo's Smile" gives the reader a real glimpse into the life of Machiavelli contrary to the worn out image of Machiavelli as being a cold, shrewd, calculating politician. "Niccolo's Smile" paints a portrait of the real man with a heart and soul who felt the same joys and sorrows we all experience. Much praise goes out to "Niccolo's Smile".

I walked away from reading this with a greater understanding of the man and his thoughts. This is a wonderful book, essential for anyone interested in politics.