Publisher Description

What makes this well-annotated translation stand out from others is an insightful introduction by editor Thomas G. Bergin–especially helpful for achieving a better understanding of the times and the political scene in which Machiavelli worked, lived, and wrote. Also included are a list of important dates in Machiavelli's life, an index of proper names in the text and notes, and a selected bibliography.

Author Biography

Niccolo Machiavelli was an Italian philosopher and writer, and is considered one of the founders of modern political science. He was a diplomat and civil servant in the Florentine Republic in the sixteenth century, until arrested for conspiracy in 1513 after which he gave his time to writing. Thomas G. Bergin - 1904 - 1987 - was an American scholar of Italian literature. He was an authority on writers including Dante, Boccaccio, and Petrarch, and Giovanni Verga. His translated works such as Dante's Divine Comedy and Niccolò Machiavelli's The Prince.

Table of Contents

Introduction vii To the magnificent Lorenzo, son of piero de' medici xiii 1.Types of Monarchy and How They Are Acquired 1 II. Hereditary Monarchies 1 III. Mixed Monarchies 2 IV. Why the Kingdom of Darius, Occupied by Alexander, Did Not Rebel Against Alexander's Successors after His Death 10 V.  How Cities or States Previously Independent Must Be Governed after Occupation 12 VI. Of New Monarchies Acquired by One's Arms and Ability 13 VII. New Monarchies Acquired by the Power of Others or by Fortune 16 VIII. On Those Who Have Become Princes by Crime 23 IX. Civil Monarchy 26 X. How the Strength of All Monarchies Should Be Measured 29 XI. Eccelesiastical Monarchies 31 XII. Various Kinds of Troops with Special Discussion of Mercenaries 33 XIII. Auxiliaries, Mixed, and Native Troops 38 XIV. The Prince's Duty in Military Matters 41 XV. On Things for Which Men, and Particularly Princes, Are Praised or Blamed 44 XVI. Generosity and Meanness 45 XVII. Cruelty and Clemency and Whether It Is Better to Be Loved or Feared 47 XVIII. In What Manner Princes Should Keep Their Word 50 XIX. Essential to Avoid Being Hated or Despised 52 XX. Whether the Building of Fortresses or Other Measures Taken by Princes Are Useful or Dangerous 61 XXI. How a Prince Should Conduct Himself in Order to Acquire Prestige 65 XXII. The Prince's Ministers 68 XXIII. How to Avoid Flatterers 69 XXIV. Why the Princes of Italy Have Lost Their States 71 XXV. The Influence of Fortune on Human Affairs and How It May Be Countered 72 XXVI. Exhortation to Free Italy from the Barbarians 75 Bibliography 79 Index of Proper Names 80

Review

""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 straight-forward 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. As a whole, in my view, this edition of The Prince "is the very best available in English, and I look forward to using it in my classes."

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