Widely read for its insights into history and politics, The Prince is one of the most provocative works of the Italian Renaissance. Based on Niccolò Machiavelli’s observations of the effectiveness of both ancient and contemporary statesmen, the rules for governing set forth in his manual were considered radical and harsh by his contemporaries and shocking to many since then. This major new edition combines an accurate and accessible new translation with important related documents, many of which appear here in English for the first time. In his lucid introductory essay, William J. Connell offers fresh insights into Machiavelli’s life, the meaning of his work, the context in which it was written, and its influence over time. Document headnotes, maps, a chronology of Machiavelli’s life, questions for consideration, a selected bibliography, and index provide further pedagogical support.
Review
"[Connell's Prince] will most likely meet with the favor of scholars and students alike for its precision, fluency, and rich apparatus of notes and documents. ... [He] renders a real service ... by shedding light ... on the many reasons for its long and controversial success..." -- Stefano U. Baldassarri, Journal of Italian Translation
. . .it is always refreshing to see someone placing Old Nick solidly within the framework of his times. -- Niccolò Capponi, The Journal of Military History, 69.4 (2005) 1200-1201
Apart from bringing out the "true" Machiavelli. . . Connell has done an excellent job of translating and annotating the text. -- Niccolò Capponi, The Journal of Military History, 69.4 (2005) 1200-1201
From the Back Cover
"This is one of the best critical editions of The Prince available in English, if not the best. What I mean by this is quite literal: readers who want to cite Machiavelli chapter and verse should use this edition. Readers who want some sense of how the text evolved, while reading it in an accessible form, should use this edition. Readers who want a good introduction to related documentation, should also turn to Connell." - Paula Findlen, Stanford University.
"This edition of The Prince handles all the basics well, but this version goes beyond the norm in that everything, from the introduction to the notes to the translation to the related documents, is chosen in such a way as to make this complicated work make real sense to students who may be coming to it with very little background. That the translator has produced such a version while also--in the related documents as well as in some of the notes--incorporating some real scholarly discoveries is all the more to his credit." -- Christopher Celenza, American Academy in Rome.
"Connell provides by far the best historical introduction to a student text of The Prince that I have ever seen. It is concise, clear, and remarkably straightforward given the complexity of the issues it treats, including not only the precise context of the work's composition, but also some very helpful description of its reception." -- Kenneth Gouwens, University of Connecticut.
Laid out in this book is the world's most famous master plan for seizing and holding power. Astonishing in its candor The Prince even today remains a disturbingly realistic and prophetic work on what it takes to be a prince , a king or a president. When, in 1512, Machiavelli was removed from his post in his beloved Florence, he resolved to set down a treatise on leadership that was practical, not idealistic. In The Prince he envisioned would be unencumbered by ordinary ethical and moral values; his prince would be man and beast, fox and lion. Today, this small sixteenth-century masterpiece has become essential reading for every student of government, and is the ultimate book on power politics.
Description:
Widely read for its insights into history and politics, The Prince is one of the most provocative works of the Italian Renaissance. Based on Niccolò Machiavelli’s observations of the effectiveness of both ancient and contemporary statesmen, the rules for governing set forth in his manual were considered radical and harsh by his contemporaries and shocking to many since then. This major new edition combines an accurate and accessible new translation with important related documents, many of which appear here in English for the first time. In his lucid introductory essay, William J. Connell offers fresh insights into Machiavelli’s life, the meaning of his work, the context in which it was written, and its influence over time. Document headnotes, maps, a chronology of Machiavelli’s life, questions for consideration, a selected bibliography, and index provide further pedagogical support.
Review
"[Connell's Prince] will most likely meet with the favor of scholars and students alike for its precision, fluency, and rich apparatus of notes and documents. ... [He] renders a real service ... by shedding light ... on the many reasons for its long and controversial success..." -- Stefano U. Baldassarri, Journal of Italian Translation
. . .it is always refreshing to see someone placing Old Nick solidly within the framework of his times. -- Niccolò Capponi, The Journal of Military History, 69.4 (2005) 1200-1201
Apart from bringing out the "true" Machiavelli. . . Connell has done an excellent job of translating and annotating the text. -- Niccolò Capponi, The Journal of Military History, 69.4 (2005) 1200-1201
From the Back Cover
"This is one of the best critical editions of The Prince available in English, if not the best. What I mean by this is quite literal: readers who want to cite Machiavelli chapter and verse should use this edition. Readers who want some sense of how the text evolved, while reading it in an accessible form, should use this edition. Readers who want a good introduction to related documentation, should also turn to Connell." - Paula Findlen, Stanford University.
"This edition of The Prince handles all the basics well, but this version goes beyond the norm in that everything, from the introduction to the notes to the translation to the related documents, is chosen in such a way as to make this complicated work make real sense to students who may be coming to it with very little background. That the translator has produced such a version while also--in the related documents as well as in some of the notes--incorporating some real scholarly discoveries is all the more to his credit." -- Christopher Celenza, American Academy in Rome.
"Connell provides by far the best historical introduction to a student text of The Prince that I have ever seen. It is concise, clear, and remarkably straightforward given the complexity of the issues it treats, including not only the precise context of the work's composition, but also some very helpful description of its reception." -- Kenneth Gouwens, University of Connecticut.
Laid out in this book is the world's most famous master plan for seizing and holding power. Astonishing in its candor The Prince even today remains a disturbingly realistic and prophetic work on what it takes to be a prince , a king or a president. When, in 1512, Machiavelli was removed from his post in his beloved Florence, he resolved to set down a treatise on leadership that was practical, not idealistic. In The Prince he envisioned would be unencumbered by ordinary ethical and moral values; his prince would be man and beast, fox and lion. Today, this small sixteenth-century masterpiece has become essential reading for every student of government, and is the ultimate book on power politics.
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