An Unlikely Prince: The Life and Times of Machiavelli

by Niccolo Capponi

Overview

In this compelling new biography, historian Niccolò Capponi frees Machiavelli (1469–1527) from centuries of misinterpretation. Exploring the Renaissance city of Florence, where Machiavelli lived, Capponi reveals the man behind the legend. A complex portrait of Machiavelli emerges—at once a brilliantly skillful diplomat and a woefully inept liar; a sharp thinker and an impractical dreamer; a hardnosed powerbroker and a risk-taking gambler; a calculating propagandist and an imprudent jokester.

Capponi's intimate portrait of Machiavelli reveals his behavior as utterly un-Machiavellian, his vision of the world as limited by his very provincial outlook. In the end, Machiavelli was frustrated by his own political failures and utterly baffled by the success of his book The Prince.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780306819087
Publisher:	Grand Central Publishing
Publication date:	04/08/2025
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	362
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Niccolòpponi is the author of the highly acclaimed Victory of the West and former fellow of the Medici Project. A direct descendant of Machiavelli, he lives in Florence, Italy.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly, 8/16/10
“fantastic...history buffs will appreciate Capponi's enthusiasm and comprehensive research.”

Forward This Week, 9/2/10
“Capponi, renowned historian and descendant of Niccolo Machiavelli, dispels misconceptions and establishes historical context in this biography.”
 

Times Literary Supplement, 10/15/10
“Detailed and engaging.

From the Publisher