MACHIAVELLI

He is the most infamous and influential political writer of all time. His name has become synonymous with cynical scheming and the selfish pursuit of power.

A lively, authoritative biography of Niccolo Machiavelli, the statesman and political philosopher whose shrewd observations about diplomacy and govemment still resonate nearly five centuries after he made them, that puts him in the context of his times, showing how he conducted himself and arrived at his conclusions about statecraft. Machiavelli drew his observations from life, and he was appropriately cynical in his wniting, given what he had personalIy experienced. He was an outstanding writer, and his work remains fascinating nearly 500 years later. His great work The Prince was considered too dangerous to publish during his lifetime and was published only after Machiavelli's death. Miles Unger tells readers who Machiavelli really was and why he remains impontant today. Unger is currently a contributing writer for The New York Times and is the author of MAGNIFICO: The Brilliant Life and Violent Times of Lorenzo de' Medici.