Machiavelli: Philosopher of Power (Eminent Lives) - Hardcover

King, Ross

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060817178 ISBN 13: 9780060817176

Publisher: Eminent Lives, 2007

Synopsis

An alternative portrait of the revolutionary political philosopher challenges popular beliefs about the cruelty of his character to reveal the complexities and sympathetic nature of his personality, in an account that traces his relationships with such contemporaries as Leonardo and Michelangelo while placing his life against a backdrop of the brutality of his time. 20,000 first printing.

About this title

Review:

‘In this engrossing short biography...King marries his lightly worn expertise in the Italy of 500 years ago with a flair for rooting cultural landmarks in early realities’ The Independent

‘This is an engaging, revealing biography and a vivid portrait of a city-state in turmoil.’ Financial Times

‘Succintly written and entertaining, wholly worthy of its subject.’ TLS

Praise for ‘Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling’:

‘King is a gifted, judicious, compelling narrator.’ Alan Taylor, Sunday Herald

‘Ross King deftly stitches modern Michelangelo scholarship into his fluent and gripping narrative.’ Boyd Tonkin, Independent

From the Back Cover:

The author of The Prince--his controversial handbook on power, which is one of the most influential books ever written--Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) was no prince himself. Born to an established middle-class family, Machiavelli worked as a courtier and diplomat for the Republic of Florence and enjoyed some small fame in his time as the author of bawdy plays and poems. In this discerning new biography, Ross King rescues Machiavelli's legacy from caricature, detailing the vibrant political and social context that influenced his thought and underscoring the humanity of one of history's finest political thinkers.

About this edition

• Publisher: Eminent Lives
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0060817178
• ISBN 13: 9780060817176
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 245