A classic of the Western tradition, Machiavelli`s The Prince has influenced political and philosophical thought since its publication four centuries ago. In this new edition of Machiavelli`s momentous book, Angelo M. Codevilla provides a translation uniquely faithful to the original, and especially sensitive to the author`s use of verbal imprecision, including puns, double meanings, and the subjunctive mood. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Robert M. Adams's superb translation of Machiavelli's best-known work is again the basis for this Norton Critical Edition. Accurate and highly readable, this translation, thoroughly revised for the Second Edition, renders Machiavelli's 1513 political tract in clear and concise English.

"Backgrounds" relies entirely upon Machiavelli's other writings to place this central Florentine in the proper political and historical context. Included are excerpts from The Discourses, a report from a diplomatic mission, a collection of private letters, and two poems from Carnival Songs. "Interpretations" retains three of the previous edition's seminal essays while adding five new selections by Felix Gilbert, Federico Chabod, J. H. Whitfield, Isaiah Berlin, and Robert M. Adams. "Marginalia" is an eclectic collection of writings germane to both Machiavelli and The Prince. Of the eight selections represented, five are new, including Pasquale Villari's comic portrayal of Machiavelli's first diplomatic post in 1499, Francesco Guicciardini's lofty rebuttal to Machiavelli, and a collection of "Tuscan Sayings" to further the reader's understanding of this timeless text.

The "Selected Bibliography" has been thoroughly updated.

Historical Introduction

Translator's Note

The Text of The Prince

Backgrounds

　　Map: North Central Italy in Machiavelli's Time

 MACHIAVELLI THE WORKING DIPLOMAT

Niccol6 Machiavelli·[The Legation to Cesare Borgia]

 MACHIAVELLI THE DEMOCRAT

Niccolb Machiavelli·From Discourses on the

 First Ten Books of Titus Livius

 MACHIAVELLI THE MORALIST

　　Niccol6 Machiavelli·The Exhortation to Penitence

 MACHIAVELLI THE CORRESPONDENT

Niccolb Machiavelli·From His Private Letters

 MACHIAVELLI THE POET

Niccol6 Machiavelli·From Carnival Songs

 ·On Occasion

　  ·The Death of Piero Soderini

Interpretations

　J. R. Hale·The Setting of The Prince: 1513-1514

 Felix Gilbert·[Fortune, Necessity, Virtfl]

 Ernst Cassirer·Implications of the New Theory of the State

 Sheldon S. Wolin·[The Economy of Violence]

 Federico Chabod·Machiavelli's Method and Style

 J. H. Whitfield·[Big Words, Exact Meanings]

 Isaiah Berlin·The Question of Machiavelli

　Robert M. Adams·The Rise, Proliferation, and

Degradation of Machiavellism: An Outline

Marginalia

　Friedrich Nietzsche·[Morals as Fossilized Violence]

　Pasquale Villari·[Learning Diplomacy the Hard Way]

　Francesco Guicciardini·From Ricordi

　Traiano Boccalini·From News Bulletins from Parnassus

　Norman Douglas·From South Wind

　Robert M. Adams·Necessith/Fortuna

　Epigrams, Maxims, and Observations from the Machiavellians

　Tuscan Sayings

Selected Bibliography