Read this book and over 1 million others with a Kindle Unlimited membership.

Read with Kindle Unlimited

8 Used from $725.95

Deliver to Finland

See All Buying Options

Added to

Unable to add item to List. Please try again.

Have one to sell? Sell on Amazon

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See this image

Follow the Author

James Burnham

The Machiavellians: Defenders of Freedom Paperback – September 1, 1987

by James Burnham (Author)

16 ratings

See all 11 formats and editions Hide other formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$5.49

—

Audible Audiobook, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$0.00

$10.95

—

Hardcover

"Please retry"

—

$952.95

$851.90

Paperback

"Please retry"

—

$935.24

$609.89

Paperback, September 1, 1987

—

$725.95

Audio CD, Audiobook, CD, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$22.94

$17.37

—

This classic work of political theory and practice offers an account of the modern Machiavellians, a remarkable group who have been influential in Europe and practically unknown in the United States. The book devotes a long section to Machiavelli himself as well as to such modern Machiavellians as Gaetano Mosca, Georges Sorel, Robert Michels and Vilfredo Pareto. Burnham contends that the writings of these men hold the key both to the truth about politics and to the preservation of political liberty.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

James Burnham (1905-1987) was an American popular political theorist and a noted author, lecturer, editor, and commentator. He was the founding editor of the National Review, founder of the Congress for Cultural Freedom, and director of the Free Europe University. He was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Ingersoll Foundation's award for his contributions to the conservative movement. His books include The Managerial Revolution, The Machiavellians, The Struggle for the World, and many others.

Paperback: 305 pages
Publisher: Gateway Books (September 1, 1987)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0895267853
ISBN-13: 978-0895267856
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
Customer Reviews: 13 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,656,582 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2585 in Philosophy of Logic & Language

Would you like to tell us about a lower price?
If you are a seller for this product, would you like to suggest updates through seller support?

Be the first video

Your name here

Customer reviews

5 star		68%
4 star		15%
3 star		8%
2 star 0% (0%)		0%
1 star		8%

13 customer reviews

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

ikki

James Burnham's classic text

June 22, 2019

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

It is great to see this release ( in Kindle format ) of James Burnham's classic 1943 text on the small group of Italian political theorists ( Pareto, Mosca, Michels ) influenced by the infamous Florentine referred to in the title. Long out of print, "The Machiavellian's" is ridiculously expensive ( going for three or even four figures in the used market ), so this recently released ( Jan 2019 ) version lowers the financial 'barrier to entry' by quite a bit. Of course, the *intellectual* barrier to entry is a lot steeper ( necessitating the ability to both entertain and sustain a counter-narrative, especially to the all-pervasive myth of democracy ) but anyone even contemplating purchasing this book is likely to meet this criterion as well. Very useful for sharpening analytic insight, via the cold eye of realism, stripping away rhetorical pretensions and revealing the inevitable will to power of an entrenched elite who are the real rulers in the political realm.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

I am No Expert

This should be required reading in High School Social Studies.

September 21, 2014

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Do you want to understand why Russia got away with their venture in the Ukraine? It is in here. This book explains a scientific method for analyzing geopolitical events. You do not need the Press to explain it once you read this book.

12 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

awanderer

I recommend it to anyone who has judged him solely on ...

December 24, 2014

Format: Audio CDVerified Purchase

Corrected my view of Machiavelli. I recommend it to anyone who has judged him solely on the merits of 'The Prince'.

7 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Michael Valdivielso

Expanding on "The Managerial Revolution" and influencing "1984"

March 1, 2019

Format: Paperback

In "The Managerial Revolution" James Burnham predicted the raise in power of a new class. A ruling class made up of managers, specialists, and bureaucrats who would form the world into three superstates. In this book, first published in 1943, the author suggested that politics needed to be treated like any other field of science. That modern leaders have to deal with what WAS and not what we WANTED IT TO BE. He uses This modern leaders he named the Machiavellians. He then devoted much of the book talking about and explaining the importance of Machiavelli, Gaetano Mosca, Georges Sorel, Robert Michels,and Vifredo Pareto. This book, in the end, is his way of trying to make politics into something that can be, in his own words, "scientific". In other words, the "Managers". This book, in other words, is nothing but a break down on how the new elite will have to think and function if they want to stay in power. He even says at one point "the primary object, in practice, of all rulers is to serve their own interest, to maintain their own power and privilege". And freedom, or liberty, is being able to oppose the will of the elite. Unless the elite can suggest that they ad the common people share the same goals. That what benefits the elite also benefits the masses.
He also points out that any elite that tried to act scientifically must also seek some way to justify their monopoly on privileges and power. In other words they would lie. 2+2=5. Sooner or later they would believe their own nonsense and, therefore, they fail to act scientifically and fall from power. Or somebody uncovers their lies and overthrows them.
Remember, this book was written during World War Two, when rumors of millions being killed in death camps was fresh, when the Third Reich and the Japanese Empire were still at large, and where even victory likely just meant another war in Europe against the Soviet Union. He book is a warning.
And you can see the seeds of what Orwell would help grow into 'The Party' and 'Doublethink' for his own novel on out-of-control power in the hands of a few. A book that would come out a few years later, in the post-war years, which were just as horrible in some ways. James Burnham is Emmanuel Goldstein of Nineteen Eighty-Four. Even the style of the writing of 'The Theory And Practice Of Oligarchical Collectivism' feels like Burnham is the author. Which is not too weird when you take into account Orwell knew of the works and, to my knowledge, reviewed them. This book is a must for anybody interested in history, political thought, or '1984'.

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Anon

One of the classics!

July 17, 2019

Format: Kindle Edition

This book is one of the seminal texts on politics written in the 20th Century. Anyone who reads it will never go back to looking at politics and political theories the same way.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Earth that Was

A classic of political thought

December 30, 2008

Format: Paperback

Burnham's "The Machiavellians" is really one of those little books that punches well above it's weight. It summarises some broad themes in political philosophy and history and provides a thoughtful synthesis. It is both a 'reference book' of sorts and a narrative.

Some comments have been raised that maybe Burnham downplayed his intellectual debt to the Polish leftist Jan Waclaw Machajski and the American 'fascist' Lawrence Dennis. Both made thoroughly 'machiavellian' critics of communist and other movements of the early 20th century, before Burnham, and Burnham would have been familiar with their work. This debate may seem a little arcane but it does reflect the intellectual forment of 1930s America.

Burnham sees his collection of "machiavellian thinkers" as forerunners of his own "managerial revolution" ideas. Before his later decades as one of the editorial team of William F Buckley's "National Review", James Burnham, was at one time America's leading Trotskyite theoretician. He even rushed to Trotsky's death bed in Mexico following the Soviets' assasination of their former military leader.

Burnham de-marxified (or more exactly de-marxist-leninist-ised) the Trotskyite critique of the Stalinist Soviet Union and broadened it into a genuine revision and amendment of marxism. In Burnham's analysis, the bourgeoisie would be replaced, not by the proletariat, but by the Managerial class of managers, bureaucrats, experts etc. Penned in the late 1930s, Burnham saw this class as already having come to power in Germany, (Soviet) Russia and (New Deal) America.

Burnham's "Managerial Revolution" in it's day was probably considered his most important, much debated and influential book. Today it's thesis has been so thoroughly absorbed that his analysis, once seen as radical and non-conformist, is now seen as such a commonplace and mundane observation that "everyone knows it". But the obvious was not always obvious. "Managerial Revolution" is thus delegated today to gather dust. "The Machiavellians" in contrast is perhaps a timeless book and, who knows, may ultimatelty be considered Burnham's genuine classic.

"The Machiavellians" is not just a readable survey and synopsis of the ideas of several great political philosophers, it also describes the lessons Burnham believed needed to be assimilated if liberty and human dignity are to survive in an era of great central power.

23 people found this helpful

Helpful

Comment

Amazon Music Stream millions of songs	Amazon Advertising Find, attract, and engage customers	Amazon Drive Cloud storage from Amazon	6pm Score deals on fashion brands	AbeBooks Books, art & collectibles	ACX Audiobook Publishing Made Easy

Alexa Actionable Analytics for the Web	Sell on Amazon Start a Selling Account	Amazon Business Everything For Your Business	AmazonGlobal Ship Orders Internationally	Home Services Handpicked Pros Happiness Guarantee	Amazon Ignite Sell your original Digital Educational Resources

Amazon Rapids Fun stories for kids on the go	Amazon Web Services Scalable Cloud Computing Services	Audible Listen to Books & Original Audio Performances	Book Depository Books With Free Delivery Worldwide	Box Office Mojo Find Movie Box Office Data	ComiXology Thousands of Digital Comics

CreateSpace Indie Print Publishing Made Easy	DPReview Digital Photography	East Dane Designer Men's Fashion	Fabric Sewing, Quilting & Knitting	Goodreads Book reviews & recommendations	IMDb Movies, TV & Celebrities

IMDbPro Get Info Entertainment Professionals Need	Kindle Direct Publishing Indie Digital Publishing Made Easy	Prime Video Direct Video Distribution Made Easy	Shopbop Designer Fashion Brands	Woot! Deals and Shenanigans	Zappos Shoes & Clothing

Ring Smart Home Security Systems	eero WiFi Stream 4K Video in Every Room	Neighbors App Real-Time Crime & Safety Alerts	Subscribe with Amazon Discover & try subscription services	PillPack Pharmacy Simplified	Amazon Second Chance Pass it on, trade it in, give it a second life

Follow the Author

Similar authors to follow

The Machiavellians: Defenders of Freedom Paperback – September 1, 1987