Customer Reviews

The Prince (Norton Critical Editions)

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BEWARE: Because of the popularity of Arc Manor's Special Student Edition of The Prince (which is taught at schools all over the US, priced at $4.99), some competitors are trying to pass off cheap imitations of the book by giving it the same name ('Special Student Edition').

Please note that the correct Arc Manor original edition has a light brown cover with a light image of the crest of the House of Medici in the background . The ISBN of the original Arc Manor edition is 978-0979415401 and it is listed on Amazon at $4.99 and it has a publication date of 2007.

You can search Amazon by the correct ISBN (978-0979415401) and you will get the correct book.

I haven't done a close analysis of multiple translations, but having cursorily read various parts from some translations and wholly loving Machiavelli's writings for the insights they yield about Renaissance Florence and today, I can only add to previous comments by commending the Robert Adams translation. It is not at all dry, the most humorous one I've encountered, with the wit (read: sarcasm) shining through. An Adams translation of The Discourses does not exist, unfortunately.

I can't agree with the previous reviewer that this book is a prescription for living -- lying, cheating, fraud, deception, cruelty, and murder hardly appeal to me as a model for my personal life. Nor do I agree that the word virtu completely captures the essence of the work. But, the translation is excellent, and the supporting material is wonderful. Norton critical editions are generally good, but this one excels. I read it voraciously from cover to cover.

This is the quote I read when being suggested this book. This is a very interesting book so far. I'd definitely recommend the Norton Critical Editions edition of it. It provides footnotes on each page for clarification, something that is not found in most literature this old. I am not dissatisfied in the least.

In the pantheon of classic literature, there are books teachers make you read, books you read on your own, and books you think you've read because everyone talks about them as though you ought to have read them.

The Prince is the third type. Read it, and discover that the term "Machiavellian" has come to mean something that I doubt Machiavelli really intended. Read it, and discover that Machiavelli may have been more of an optimist than people realize.

In a reading group recently, members had three different translations of the book. When we argued about what Machiavelli was saying in the section on ecclesiastical states, we realized that we were coming from different directions, so we each read the versions of several passages. The consensus was that this translation is perhaps the most cynical translation into English and may be the most "faithful" to the modern, popular idea of Machiavelli.

I purchased this book for a college class, and it is exactly what I needed. Helpful footnotes help explain events through use of historical context, and translation insight allows for reader wariness into why things read the way they do. Specifically to the used book I ordered, it came in pristine condition, with only a few stickers from previous sales at other book stores. The pages are nice and clean, and the cover are well kept. The price of the order and timeliness of delivery make this retailer an excellent alternative to the campus and local bookstores.

had to get this book for school so i was glad i found a great price. easy transaction and received exactly what i was expecting.