Machiavelli: A Biography

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More About This Book

Overview

A “captivating biography of Italian philosopher and playwright”*—Niccolò Machiavelli, author of The Prince—whose writings have outraged and inspired generations of readers.

Few philosophers are more often referred to and more often misunderstood. Truly a product of the Renaissance period, Machiavelli was as much a revolutionary in the field of political philosophy as Leonardo or Michelangelo were in painting and sculpture. Machiavelli spent years studying events and people before writing his famous books, which were based on observations of human nature that were as perceptive as Shakespeare’s.

Descended from minor nobility, he grew up in a household that was run by a vacillating and incompetent father. He eventually became an important figure in the Florentine state but was defeated by the deposed Medici and Pope Julius II. He was tortured, but eventually freed by the restored Medici.

Machiavelli had seen the best and the worst of human nature, and he understood how the world operated—not how it should operate, but how it actually did. He was appropriately cynical in his writing, given what he had personally experienced. He was an outstanding writer, and his work remains fascinating nearly 500 years later.

Editorial Reviews

Library Journal
Unger's (Magnifico: The Brilliant Life and Violent Times of Lorenzo de' Medici) portrait of the world's most notorious political philosopher strives to be a definitive biography. Like Maurizio Viroli (Niccolò's Smile), Unger utilizes Machiavelli's correspondence to present a complex portrait, showing his subject in the varied public roles he played: civil servant, diplomat, political philosopher, and playwright. All of Machiavelli's writings are discussed and analyzed here. An astonishing number of people thread their way in and out of the narrative; Unger considerately offers a "Select Cast of Characters," although he regrettably fails to include a time line of key events. VERDICT Unger succeeds in presenting Machiavelli as a true Renaissance man. Both he and Viroli ponder Machiavelli's inner life, although Unger pays greater attention to The Prince. Those who have Viroli's book may consider Unger's an optional addition. It will appeal to readers of biography, history, and political science. [See Prepub Alert, 12/20/10.]—Sharon E. Reidt, Marlboro Coll. Lib., VT
Kirkus Reviews

The story of the obscure civil servant who became the world's most famous cynic.

Art historian and New York Times contributor Unger (Magnifico: The Brilliant Life and Violent Times of Lorenzo de' Medici, 2008) offers a captivating biography of Italian philosopher and playwright Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527), whose classic book,The Prince, remains a definitive handbook for practicing politicians. Born into an old, down-on-its-luck family, Machiavelli grew up in the small, independent Republic of Florence at a time of peace and prosperity. The fabulously rich Medici family ruled; great artists like Sandro Botticelli and Leonardo da Vinci flourished; and bright young Machiavelli, with little money or influence, came of age aimlessly, devoting his free time to reading, whores and gambling. Yet he was ambitious. At 29, he became Second Chancellor, serving as a diplomat and handling state correspondence for 14 years. Prickly and abrasive, he was dismissed in 1513 over policy decisions leading to the fall of the republic. With no means of supporting his wife and children, Machiavelli began writing his small book on the secrets of statecraft based on his own observations during government service. He hopedThe Princewould lead to a new government job; instead, the book propelled him into political and literary history. Against the background of war and rivalries between Italian states, Unger traces the development of Machiavelli's cynical, secular, anti-clerical views, and examines the blunt precepts of his masterpiece that announced "the coming of the modern world." Shattering cherished assumptions about God-centered government, Machiavelli declared that rulers must rule by whatever means necessary. Now commonplace, his original, pragmatic insights simply stated what he called "the actual truth of things." Ironically, writes Unger, despite his disdain of honesty, he was actually "the most honest" and least Machiavellian of men.

Lively, well-researched portrait of a master political strategist.

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781416556282
  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster
  • Publication date: 6/14/2011
  • Edition description: Simon & Schuster
  • Pages: 416
  • Sales rank: 147,219
  • Product dimensions: 9.32 (w) x 6.54 (h) x 1.22 (d)

Meet the Author

Miles J. Unger, a contributing writer to The New York Times and former managing editor of Art New England, is an art historian and the author of Magnifico, a biography of Lorenzo de’Medici. He lives in Massachusetts.

Customer Reviews

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Sort by: Showing all of 6 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted July 2, 2011

    Highly recommended

    A very readable, interesting biography of a complex character. He has often been considered an evil schemer but the complete story is much more interesting than that. This book is really a page turner - lets us in on the story of the man himself, the time in which he lived, the many famous people he associated with (Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Savonarola, popes and kings to name a few) and the political theories he developed. Also fascinating is his influence on politics after his own lifetime up to current times.
    I had read The Prince, but now I understand the background and the context of that famous text.
    A must read.

    8 out of 9 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted October 18, 2011

    Very, very good. A strong recommendation.

    Well written and just long (or short depending on your perspective) enough to not get monotonous. Read the book no too long after having been in Florence and Siena which helped tie things together. Mr. Unger does a good job of putting Machiavelli and his actions into the perspective of the time in which he lived. His lack of judgmental comment is refreshing in as much as it would be impossible for him or any other biographer to apply today's mores on the political landscape of Florence 500 years in the past. A very, very good book and a very enjoyable read.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted September 11, 2011

    A wonderful biography

    I very much enjoyed this highly readable biography of Machiavelli. Unger brings to life this fascinating character, and also bring to life the time in which he lived, Renaissance Florence, filled with famous people Machiavelli knew personally- Savonarola, the Borgia, Michelangelo, Da Vinci, the Medici and many others. If you have read The Prince and want to know more about the context, if you are interested in history and art, or even if you want to better understand current politics, you will find this book a must read.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted July 7, 2011

    I Also Recommend:

    9780898709261

    Learning from the Disease

    When we learn a good thing as a result of fighting a disease, should the disease get the credit for that good thing or those who found the cure (or partial cure) for it?

    0 out of 9 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted July 29, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted August 14, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

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