The Prince (Modern Library Classics)

A new translation by Peter Constantine
Introduction by Albert Russell Ascoli

The first modern treatise of political philosophy, The Prince is one of the world s most influential and widely read books. Machiavelli reveals nothing less than the secrets of power: how to gain it, how to wield it, and how to keep it. Ruthless, cunning, and amoral, The Prince is a controversial analysis of manipulation and an essential guide for anyone interested in conquest, self-defense, or observation of dominance and control. The Introduction by noted Italian Renaissance scholar Albert Russell Ascoli provides a perfect opening to Peter Constantine s illuminating new translation of this seminal work.

Constantine elegantly captures in English the pith of Machiavelli s brilliant Italian prose. Edward Muir, Clarence L. Ver Steeg Professor in the Arts and Sciences, Northwestern University