The Prince
by Niccolo Machiavelli
Book Summary Information
Author: Niccolo MachiavelliEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Published)
Published: 2008-09-24
ISBN: 1440428034
Number of pages: 72
Publisher: CreateSpace
Book Reviews of The Prince
Book Review: Only One End, but Many Means
Summary: 5 Stars
After many years of hearing and reading about Machiavelli and this timeless classic, I decided to read it for myself. Not only did I instantly appreciate the book's `classic' status, my experience was enhanced by choosing this "enriched classic" version. Being my first "enriched classic," I was very pleasantly surprised with the notes and commentary in the introduction and at the end of the book. They prepared me well for the book, and helped me put Machiavelli's words into meaningful contexts.
The book was organized into twenty-six small chapters, each dealing with a specific situation that a ruler is likely to face: dealing with soldiers and mercenaries; how the strength of regimes are measured; how to govern different types of lands and lands acquired by different means (e.g. lands that are used to governing themselves, lands acquired by force, lands acquired by heredity, lands acquired by the aid of others, lands acquired by treachery, ecclesiastical lands, etc.). Machiavelli provided many historical examples to illustrate his points, and show what happens when rulers did not practice his points. I understand how Machiavelli has earned his "the ends justify the means" reputation - his observations and discussions about rulers maintaining power and control are interesting, logical, and singularly focused.
I believe this book is written in such a way that readers will draw their own conclusions about the author's intentions, and the book's main points or themes. For me, the book was more than just a historical analysis of the rulers and regimes of Machiavelli's time, it was his primer for rulers of all times.
The book's main principle was that rulers are measured by how long they rule, and everything they do should be calculated to strengthening their power and control. While he acknowledged that fate plays a large role in the success of rulers, Machiavelli repeatedly stressed that rulers must be able to adapt their methods to fit the realities of the situations they face. He argued that rulers should willingly be a blend of good and evil depending on when each is best for them. Fate changes, and Machiavelli believed it is best to be bold and aggressive than to be passive - be proactive, not reactive; make things happen vice waiting for things to happen.
I now understand why this book has survived through the centuries, and why so many government, corporate, and civilian leaders have read it and talked so much about it - it is one heck of a thought-provoking book that demands great judgment from its readers. If you want to read this classic book, I strongly recommend you exercise your great judgment right from the start by choosing this "enriched classic" version.
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