Niccolo Machiavelli: The Prince & The Art of War

• This edition binds Machiavelli's The Prince (essentially a How-To Guide for Tyrants) with The Art of War, where the author expands on his theme.

The Prince
Machiavelli's The Prince is a practical guide for tyrannical ruling (although some scholars argue the book is a satire). It is among the first work of modern political philosophy, describing a world where effective truth is taken to be more important than abstract ideal. It is dedicated to Lorenzo de’ Medici, the ruler of Florence, the written is a simple style. Its main themes are: politics, warcraft, and popular goodwill.
The first chapter defines types of principalities and princes; providing an outline for the remainder of the work. Chapter III describes how to maintain composite principalities, either newly created or annexed from another. In Chapters IV–XIV, Machiavelli offers advice on routes to power, how to acquire and hold new states, how to deal with internal insurrection, alliances, and maintaining a strong military.

The Art of War
Machiavelli's Art of War expands on many of themes in The Prince, dealing with analysis of classical and contemporary military practices. Machiavelli develops the philosophy of "limited warfare": if diplomacy fails, war is an extension of politics.