Focusing on military strategy and philosophy, this book combines the insights of Sun-Tzu and Niccolo Machiavelli to explore the principles of warfare and leadership. It discusses the timing and ethics of conflict, alongside practical advice on recruitment, training, and motivation of troops. The text also distinguishes between strategy and tactics while analyzing historic battles. By merging Eastern and Western military wisdom, it serves as an essential guide for understanding not only warfare but its applications in various aspects of life.
Essential for students of military history and strategy, this work delves into the principles of warfare and the importance of military organization. Machiavelli presents a dialogue that explores tactics, the role of a citizen-soldier, and the interplay between politics and military action. His insights remain relevant, offering a foundational understanding of military theory that influences contemporary thought on strategy and governance.
"In The Essential Writings of Machiavelli, Peter Constantine has assembled a comprehensive collection that shows the truth depth and breadth of a great Renaissance thinker. These new translations are faithful to Machiavelli's original writings." "The volume features essays that appear in English for the first time, such as "A Caution to the Medici" and "The Persecution of Africa." Also included are complete versions of the political treatise The Prince, the comic satire The Mandrake, The Life of Castruccio Castracani, and the classic story "Belfagor," along with selections from The Discourses, The Art of War, and Florentine Histories. Augmented with useful features - vital and concise annotations and cross-references - this unique compendium is certain to become the standard one-volume reference to this influential writer."--Jacket
Based on Machiavelli's own first-hand experience as an emissary of the Florentine Republic to the courts of Europe, 'The Prince' analyses the usually violent ways by which men seize, retain and lose political power.
Recognized for its significance in literature, this book serves as a vital resource for future generations. It has been preserved in its original form, intentionally retaining any marks from its first publication to maintain its authenticity. Scholars and academicians regard it as an important contribution to the knowledge base, ensuring its continued relevance and value.
This collection of the most brilliant and characteristic letters of Niccolò Machiavelli displays the vital and penetrating mind of the man who wrote the first work of modern political science. These letters, which reveal Machiavelli's critical intelligence, sense of humor, and elegant sense, are our chief source of information about his personal life. As such, they will serve as a vivid introduction to the personalities and events of the most turbulent period of the Renaissance, and they will also enlighten people who have been fascinated by the political thinker who wrote The Prince and The Discourses on Livy.
Features personal and professional works of Machiavelli. This book strives to
do away with many of the myths that have plagued the man's posthumous fame.
Written in the sixteenth century and almost immediately a subject of controversy, The Prince presents Machiavelli's advice to a ruler who would seek to maintain his power most effectively. Pragmatism and expediency are seen to be more important considerations than ethical ones, and a ruler must be prepared to take actions in the interest of public order that might conflict with purely private ethical concerns. A good ruler must avoid being hated by his subjects however. In The Art of War Machiavelli examines ancient military practices for their relevance to modern political issues, and asserts that military power is at the base of all civil order.With an Afterword by Oliver Francis.
Discourses on Livy is the founding document of modern republicanism, and Harvey C. Mansfield and Nathan Tarcov have provided the definitive English translation of this classic work. Faithful to the original Italian text, properly attentive to Machiavelli's idiom and subtlety of thought, it is eminently readable. With a substantial introduction, extensive explanatory notes, a glossary of key words, and an annotated index, the Discourses reveals Machiavelli's radical vision of a new science of politics, a vision of "new modes and orders" that continue to shape the modern ethos. "[Machiavelli] found in Livy the means to inspire scholars for five centuries. Within the Discourses , often hidden and sometimes unintended by their author, lie the seeds of modern political thought. . . . [Mansfield and Tarcov's] translation is careful and idiomatic."—Peter Stothard, The Times "Translated with painstaking accuracy—but also great readability."— Weekly Standard "A model of contemporary scholarship and a brave effort at Machiavelli translation that allows the great Florentine to speak in his own voice."— Choice
Written in Machiavelli's characteristically lucid and terse style, Life of
Castruccio Castracani is a revealing account of the political ferment and
fractious factionalism of fourteenth-century Italy.
