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Title: The Prince (Penguin Classics) by Niccolo Machiavelli, Anthony Grafton, George Bull ISBN: 0-14-044915-9 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: 04 February, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $6.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.3 (177 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Power Politics and Diplomacy
Comment: Based upon Michiavelli's first hand experience as an emissary of the Florentine Republic to the courts of Europe The Prince analyzes the often violent means by which political power is seized and retained, and the circumstance in which it is lost. Because The Prince is a political commentary, and not a work of fiction, Michiavelli does not use "characters" in the sense of a novel or a short story. Instead he draws his examples from the current political and social events, as well as from history. His characters are the political leaders of his time. The book is a declaration in plain language the conduct of great men and the principles of princely governments. The book can be divided into four sections.
1. The types of principalities. Michiavelli lists four types of principalities.
* Hereditary principalities, which are inherited by the ruler.
* Mixed principalities, territories that are annexed to the rulers existing territories.
* New principalities which may be acquired by several methods: by own power, by the power of others by criminal acts or extreme cruelty, or by the will of the people
* Ecclesiastical principalities, namely the papal states belonging to the catholic churches.
2. The character and behavior of the prince. Michiavelli recommends the following character and behavior for princes:
* It is better to be miserly than generous.
* It is better to be cruel than merciful.
* It is better to break promises if keeping than would be against ones interest.
* Princes must avoid making them hated and despised; the goodwill of the people is a better defense than any fortress.
* Princes should undertake great projects to enhance their reputation.
* Princes should choose wise advisors to confide and consult with
3. The types of armies A prince must always pay close attention to military affairs if he wants to remain in power. A prince must lay good foundation and those foundations include good laws and good armies. There cannot be good laws without good armies, and where there are good laws there must be good armies. The study of war should be a prince's main goal, for war is a rulers only art.If princes become too refined to study this art they loose their state. The types of armies are:
* Mercenaries or Auxiliaries (loaned to you by another ruler) are both dangerous and unreliable, as they will maintain their interests preceding yours.
* Native troops composed of ones own citizens or subjects are by far the most desirable kind.
4. Italy's political situation Michiavelli outlines and recommends the following
* The rulers of Italy have lost their states by ignoring the political and military principles.
* Fortune controls half of human affairs, but free will controls the rest, leaving the prince free to act. However, the few princes can adopt their actions to times
Rating: 3
Summary: A Truthful Presentation of Politics, However With Problems
Comment: This Review refers to the mass market paperback edition of The Prince, composed by Niccolo Machiavelli and as translated/introduced by Daniel Donno.
The Prince was and is a pioneering political work. Through this work, Machiavelli describes how a ruler should run their country and behave politically in order to be successful. The varied topics covered include everything from how to keep up public opinion to how to choose advisors. The introduction by the translator, Daniel Donno, describes the author as well as various aspects of his life, and includes a letter by Machiavelli. A rather small selection from The Discourses follows The Prince, providing further information on political concepts. There is also a chronology and extensive notes on both the primary work and the brief selection.
The truthfulness as to how to conduct political matters in a ruler's situation at the time is startling. The concepts and methods conveyed in this work would prove quite useful for leaders wishing to sustain their control over their populace as well as for citizens wishing to gain some sort of political power. However, The Prince focuses on the political positions of the time and is therefore not as relevant in modern times as they were at its publication. Despite this fact, there is still an abundance of accurate and usable information pertaining to the said topic. The selections from The Discourses are much more useful to modern politicians and a modern governmental founding than The Prince.
Throughout the introduction, the translator presents a literary style that leans towards a more informal tone, often praising the author. The translation Donno provides is a modern one, which is more pleasing to today's reader. The translation is of good presentation, often with useful explanatory endnotes that aid the reader in understanding the ideas presented throughout the text. On this note, Machiavelli fails to explain his examples properly, often leading to the need of the said endnotes. To say the least, the author expects the reader to have a good knowledge base concerning the history of Europe and the events of the time the book received its first publication. The style is assertive, which has its good qualities as well as bad.
Overall, The Prince provides a modern literary style without proper elaborations. The introduction is slightly biased, but still relevant. The selections from The Discourses are a welcome addition, although it would have been more so had the selection been larger. A good political work with a few problems, The Prince deserves a place in any political collection.
Rating: 5
Summary: Tricky Work, Tricky Translation--Highly Recommended!
Comment: Machiavelli was a moderately significant figure in Renaissance Florence at the time that city was busy shaping the essence of the modern world. His works (all of them, but especially the Prince) capture much of what is pivotal in this culture. The book is advice to princes on how to seize and hold power. Mostly, that means you need to trick people and use ruthless violence intelligently. (He suggests that, if you could invent something like the Catholic Church, you'd be in a specially good position to set up a rule that would draw a lot of allegiance and a lot of taxes, would have no responsibilities, and would never end.) It's great reading as literature and as history, and also incredibly subtle and insightful as an analysis of human psychology. Mostly, this work praises cunning intelligence; it is also written for the reader who possesses the same. Consequently, it is a book that requires real patience and attention if its real treasures are to be found. Mansfield's translation is, I believe, the best for allowing one to look for the inner depth of the book. The translation is inspired by the work of Leo Strauss, and, as is typical of Straussian translations, it is a translation that is extremely careful to reflect the subtleties of the language of the original in order to retain their complex intimations etc. This is the translation I use when I teach the book because of its precision and elegance. It also has helpful historical notes that provide some of the essential context that is necessary to understanding Machiavelli's words; (Machiavelli often, for example, describes some historical figure in a fashion which will suggest the opposite of his true point to the reader who does not take the trouble to learn the details of the context he is referring to, and Mansfield is helpful in supplying guides to the modern reader for what to study in order to get past these textual deceptions). Overall, this is an outstanding translation of one of the great books of Western culture. I recommend it highly.
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