The Prince (Enriched Classic) Summary and Reviews

The Prince (Enriched Classic)
by Niccolo Machiavelli

The Prince (Enriched Classic)
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Book Summary Information

Author: Niccolo Machiavelli
Edition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2004-06-29
ISBN: 0743487680
Number of pages: 192
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Book Reviews of The Prince (Enriched Classic)

Book Review: A fantastic tour de force for political realism
Summary: 5 Stars

Written with an accessible yet supremely elegant prose, I found Machiavelli's most famous work a delightful, provocative chronicle of political realism. Written as an open letter to a Renaissance-era ruler, Machiavelli prescribes the ins and outs of how to seize, defend and expand a kingdom, using countless historical examples to support his claims. However, The Prince finds is true power not in the political answers it offers to its readers, but the difficult questions it raises. In today's day and age, chances are, if you're on Amazon.com reading this review, you're living in a democracy. You were probably raised to revere democratic and republican ideals, and if that's the case, you will feel uncomfortable reading The Prince at times, although I found this aspect exciting. Machiavelli seems to unapologetically endorse oppression, violence and cruelty at times, but does so in pragmatic way that will make you question your ideals. These moments represent what I personally love about books, and what I consider to be the true power of literature - and Machiavelli's work, despite being a relatively short 129 pages, has them in spades.

Unlike a few reviewers, I had no problem with the translation. I haven't tried reading any other versions, but I found the Enriched Classic version very pleasant and definitely readable; in fact, I was impressed with how well Machiavelli's Italian was translated into such beautiful, flowing English. It's a great size, and you can take it pretty much anywhere, so if you're like me and tend to cram your reading into your fleeting moments of free time throughout the day, it's perfect. Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It no doubt deserves its status as a classic, and I heartily recommend it to anyone willing to consider politics from a different angle.

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