The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli

By spring-copper1982

This was my second time picking up Machiavelli’s short book on politics. I really liked the historical bits and how straight-up he seems about politics. I’ll admit I kind of enjoy that cold, almost amoral way he writes, where he looks at political events without getting all moral about it. It feels like you can see what people or even a whole society is naturally like as it develops, without all that judgment getting in the way. Reading it also made me curious about how Machiavelli interprets behavior when it comes to power and politics. This second read I checked out three different editions, but I ended up liking Tim Parks’s version the most. It just feels easier to follow than the other translations, probably because the wording feels more modern. Overall, it’s definitely a book I’d revisit again, especially if you’re interested in his take on objectivity in politics and power.