Machiavelli
Machiavelli
Authors:
Patrick Curry & Oscar Zarate
Retail Price (Softback): £6.99
Retail Price (Ebook):
ISBN: 9781848311756
First Published: 2011
Description:
This book is one of the 'Introducing - A graphic guide' series and previously published under the title 'Machiavelli for Beginners.'
What it says on the cover:
Is Machiavelli's The Prince:
A how-to manual for dictators?
A cynical philosophy of 'the end justifies the means'?
Or a brilliant and subtle analysis of successful government?
Machiavelli's classic book on statecraft was published over 400 years ago, remains controversial to this day because of its electrifying frankness as a practical guide to power.
A loyal servant of the Florentine republic, Maciavelli's opposition to the Medici despots led him to torture on the rack and exile, and yet he chose as his model for the Prince the most notorious tyrant, Cesare Borgia.
Introducing Machiavelli traces the colourful life of this paradoxical realist whose clear-sighted patriotism made him the first truly modern political scientist. Machiavelli is seen as central to the postmodern debate on Civil Society. This book brings the creative turbulence of Renaissance Italy to life, and presents a compelling portrait of a key figure of European political history.
Icon Books
Your Opinions and Comments
This little book is great way to engage with and understand what Machiavelli was on about when he wrote his classic book on statecraft, The Prince and his other classic 'The Discourses'.
If the purpose of this book is to make one think about the relevance of Machiavelli's thoughts to our time without having to spend a long time working it through - this book really did its job.
After a two hour train journey from London to the South Coast I could see how Machiavelli's ideas were applicable to government of today in the UK.
The graphic format illustrates the complexity of government in a much more exciting way that mere text alone. I just couldn't help identifying problems being stoked up by the present Tory-led coalition government in the UK.
The scene is set in Machiavelli's time so we don't get carried away with actions that would be deemed to be much more 'norma' than they are in our own time.
Looking at politics in 2011, just one year after the election of a hung parliament in the UK, here are just a few of Machiavelli's ideas that particularly struck a chord with me, and could form the basis of some sound advice for the current government.
The Prince also needs the goodwill of the people, otherwise he has no helpers in times of adversity.
Cameron (The UK Prime Minister) has stiched up his Deputy Prime Minister, Lib-Dem leader Nick Clegg, over the Alternative Vote Referendum in May, having said he wouldn't actively campaign. Clegg is retaliating by demanding big changes to the NHS Reforms Bill.
More to follow - unless you add them first!
We can expect problems with the implementation of the recent changes to the number of MPs and the boundaries of their constituencies. I expect Clegg's attempt to change the nature of the House of Lords to go the same wasy as the Alternative Vote changes
Fortune is the arbiter of half the things we do leaving the other half or so to be controlled by ourselves.
As Harold MacMillan once said 'Events, dear boy, events!'
Some more - later!