The Prince

For over four hundred years, The Prince has been the basic handbook of politics, statesmanship, and power. Written by a Florentine nobleman whose name has become a synonym for crafty plotting, it is a fascinating political and social document, as pertinent today as when it first appeared. Machiavelli wanted to set down for all time the rules and moves in the ageless game of politics, and, as the most successful statesman of his day, he devised this highly readable formula for the man who seeks power. There was little modern democracy in sixteenth century Italy, and as a result, Machiavelli's work became thought of as a blueprint for dictators--instead of a guide for efficient democratic government. Witty, informative and devilishly shrewd, Machiavelli has long been required reading for everyone interested in politics and power.