The Prince (Modern Library Classics) [Paperback]

Niccolo Machiavelli (Author), Peter Constantine (Translator), Albert Russell Ascoli (Introduction)

Book Description

Series: Modern Library Classics | Publication Date: February 5, 2008

The first modern treatise of political philosophy, The Prince remains one of the world’s most influential and widely read books. Machiavelli, whose name has become synonymous with expedient exercises of will, reveals nothing less than the secrets of power: how to gain it, how to wield it, and how to keep it. But curiously, this work of outspoken clarity has, for centuries, inspired myriad interpretations as to its author’s true message.

The Introduction by noted Italian Renaissance scholar Albert Russell Ascoli provides a perfect opening to Peter Constantine’s illuminating new translation of this seminal work.

"Constantine elegantly captures in English the pith of Machiavelli’s brilliant Italian prose."
–Edward Muir, Clarence L. Ver Steeg Professor in the Arts and Sciences, Northwestern University

“Peter Constantine’s excellent translation belongs in everyone’s library. Perhaps now more than ever we have much to learn from this Renaissance thinker, present at the birth of the modern world.”
–John Jeffries Martin, professor of history, Duke University

Editorial Reviews

Review

“[Machiavelli] can still engage our attention with remarkable immediacy, and this cannot be explained solely by the appeal of his ironic observations on human behaviour. Perhaps the most important thing is the way he can compel us to reflect on our own priorities and the reasoning behind them; it is this intrusion into our own defenses that makes reading him an intriguing experience. As a scientific exponent of the political art Machiavelli may have had few followers; it is as a provocative rhetorician that he has had his real impact on history.” –from the Introduction by Dominic Baker-Smith


From the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527) was born in Florence. He served the Florentine republic as secretary and second chancellor, but was expelled from public life when the Medici family returned to power in 1512. His other works include The Discourses, The Art of War, and the comic satire The Mandrake.

Peter Constantine is the recipient of a PEN Translation Prize and a National Translation Award. His Modern Library translations include The Essential Writings of Machiavelli, Voltaire’s Candide, and Tolstoy’s The Cossacks. He lives in New York City.

Albert Russell Ascoli is Gladys Arata Terrill Distinguished Professor of Italian Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, and was awarded the Rome Prize for study at the American Academy in Rome.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Modern Library; Modern Library Pbk. Ed edition (February 5, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812978056
• ISBN-13: 978-0812978056
• Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.4 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #644,977 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Political Science > Political Theory
  • #98 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Politics > History & Theory

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A guide to gaining and maintaining power, March 27, 2008

By 

Steve Burns (Nashville, TN) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Prince (Modern Library Classics) (Paperback)

This book was written by the famous Italian statesman Niccolo Machiavelli in 1531. This book is a classic and I was pleasantly surprised that the content was not dated and the principles translate easily into the modern worlds of business and politics.
The author wrote this book as an instruction guide for governing princes in the 1500's when Italy was divided into city states and were being defeated by many foreign powers. I belive that the work is directed to Lorenzo de Medici by a letter included in the work and because at the end of the writing Machiavelli calls for a prince to unite and lead Italy against its oppressors.
The book is not unethical as I had imagined from my understanding of the ruthlessness of Machiavellian ethics. The author is only explaining tactics to use to maintain power in a kingdom or city state that are pragmatic for his time period.
Here are some examples from the book:
1. When conquering a territory keep the current laws and institutions in place, but eliminate all the family of the defeated prince.
2. When trouble is sensed ahead of time it can be easily remedied, if you wait for it to show itself, it is to late.
3. Whoever is responsible for another becoming powerful, ruins himself.
4. There is no surer way of keeping possesion than by devastation.
5. Men do you are harm either because they hate you or they fear you.
6. Violence must be inflicted once and for all, it must be over quickly.
7. Build your power through the people.
8. Power is maintained through religious institutions.
9. Neglect the art of war and you lose your state.
10. If you act virtuously, you will be undone by those who are not, make use of this or not according to need.
The above is just a small sampling of the lessons in this book. My review can not do this book justice, it is full of wisdom and life lessons. It is a guide book for business leaders and politicians. I strongly suggest adding this book to your home library and referring to it often.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb Edition of Machiavelli Famous Text, July 24, 2011

By 

E. D. Antmann - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Prince (Modern Library Classics) (Paperback)

Machiavelli's famous, and infamous, treatise on securing and holding power has doubtlessly influenced thousands of the Earth's most powerful men over the past centuries. Its legendary bluntness and brevity makes no premonitions of a scholarly or humanitarian endeavor: it is a cold and calculating study of human nature, and how men can best be ruled. The lessons taught apply equally to business and statesmanship, although their severity obviously must be toned down for most modern situations.

However, I am not setting out to comment on Machiavelli's work. Instead, I want to focus this review on the Modern Library paperback edition, with a translation prepared by Peter Constantine. This translation is by far one of the must lucid and accessible that I have come upon of any renaissance-era Italian work. Constantine's prose acquires an almost lyric quality in many passages, and the work is a pleasure to both read and study from. Such a style compliment's Machiavelli's content, objective, and intended audience nicely. Furthermore, Modern Library's paperback binding is sturdy, handsome, and an excellent value. Overall, I would strongly recommend this as the best available edition of The Prince.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Power Mongers' Indispensable Primer, December 25, 2010

By 

Richard Gazala (Vienna, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Prince (Modern Library Classics) (Paperback)

As has been true the past 500 years, any would-be power monger's bedside table unadorned with a copy of this slim treatise is shamefully naked. This is an excellent translation by Peter Constantine, filled with helpful footnotes and capped by a solid bibliography.