The Prince

We are much beholden to Machiavelli and others, that write what men do, and not what they ought to do. -- Francis Bacon Machiavelli is a pivotal figure in the history of political thought. His views of human nature, society and government mark a break with medieval philosophy and sixteenth-century political thought based on assumptions about God's purposes for man. * New Statesman * Machiavelli was a pioneer of political science. He was a republican and a patriot. His prose style was as clear as Julius Caesar's. He was a literary genius. * The Times * In his 1513 work, The Prince, Machiavelli created a monster that has haunted politics ever since... The Prince is not a practical advice manual aimed at any specific individual - rather it creates a fantastic creature, a kind of armoured colossus bestriding (and in Machiavelli's precocious dream, uniting) Italy. * The Guardian *