The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli - A Timeless Classic of Political Theory,Political Philosophy,Machiavellian Philosophy,Masterful Exploration of Power & Politics,Historical Treatise

Physical Quality of Book - The book is really good, sturdy and has a bookmark which is naturally good. Pages with golden lining gives it a very decent and aesthetic look. Psychological Quality of Book - "IT IS MUCH SAFER TO BE FEARED THAN LOVED" and the book means it. Niccolo Machiavelli and Machiavellianism is not about manipulation, cynicism or evil tactics. It is about understanding how the power works, why good intentions always fail, and ultimately understanding what happens if power and authority is misunderstood and mishandled. This book is not about any fantasy or entertainment, it throws light on some ultimate truth. If you wish to get an idea on power, leadership, negotiation, etc. you should go for it.

It also a must read to know about the political realities and how they have always been the same.

Must read book.. Delivered timely Good condition👍🏻

The book features the 1908 W. K. Marriott translation and starts with a biography of Machiavelli written by Marriott. It contains all 26 chapters along with two essays by Machiavelli: How Duke Valentino Dealt with His Adversaries and a detailed biography of Castruccio Castracani of Lucca. Since this is a 'Pocket Classic', it is of a relatively small size—just a little more than 10 cm x 15 cm—and has 244 pages. With an appropriate font, they have managed to fit all the content into this size. The page quality is excellent for the price; it is a slightly yellowish-white, which is easier on the eyes compared to bright white. All this is for less than ₹100, which is quite incredible, actually. The only change I would have suggested is that they could have used a different cover. An early modern Italian painting would have been appropriate. It was originally written in early 16th-century Italy, when the country was divided among several rival political powers. Many of these factions were under the influence of powerful European states. As a diplomat, Machiavelli saw firsthand how influential men act, why some fail and others succeed, and the role of chance and talent. The following are few passages from The Prince: There are three classes of intellects: one which comprehends by itself; another which appreciates what others comprehended; and a third which neither comprehends by itself nor by the showing of others; the first is the most excellent, the second is good, the third is useless. Not to extinguish our free will, I hold it to be true that Fortune is the arbiter of one–half of our actions, but that she still leaves us to direct the other half, or perhaps a little less. I compare her to one of those raging rivers, which when in flood overflows the plains, sweeping away trees and buildings, bearing away the soil from place to place; everything flies before it, all yield to its violence, without being able in any way to withstand it; and yet, though its nature be such, it does not follow therefore that men, when the weather becomes fair, shall not make provision, both with defences and barriers, in such a manner that, rising again, the waters may pass away by canal, and their force be neither so unrestrained nor so dangerous. So it happens with fortune, who shows her power where valour has not prepared to resist her, and thither she turns her forces where she knows that barriers and defences have not been raised to constrain her.

This book is a classic read for anyone interested in history and politics. Machiavelli's pragmatic philosophy is valuable to that. W.K. Marriott's translation is good; he claims his aim was to create an exact, literal rendering of the original rather than a pure paraphrase, and I would say he has achieved that well without making it too dense. That said, this is still dense compared to Tim Parks' (Penguin Books) modern English translation. Although I really like the pocket size and the cover design, the cover's quality is too poor, and it looks like it’s already been through years of use. But that blame goes to the publisher and not Machiavelli.

Intersting concept about the real world order

Page quality is awesome,book is perfect,text is complete,i needed more refference to read it than those provided in book

Amazing that the arguments still hold up, logic hasn't changed over the centuries. Machiavelli has an unfair reputation based primarily on "It's better to be feared than loved" if you have to choose. But he is clear that you should not be hated. Who is feared but not hated? A competent and powerful leader. Love of a leader he says is unreliable, they may stop loving you the next week, or the next, and if they ever do you are done, but being "feared" but not hated is more reliable. Especially in 16th century Italy.

The Prince is a sharp, timeless exploration of political power that still feels surprisingly relevant today. Machiavelli’s clear, direct style makes this classic both thought‑provoking and genuinely enjoyable to read, especially if you’re interested in political strategy or leadership philosophy.

perfect condition

amazing

Le livre com Tel est un chef d'oeuvre d'un homme d'état extraordinaire. J'ai acheté 3 éditions differentes - une pour garder et 2 pour offrir. J'ai comparer les traditions et il faut que j'avoue que je regrette de ne pas pouvoir le lire dans la langue originale. Meme la plus petite différence d'interprétation des differentes traducteurs peut changer la conception du texte.