Author : Niccolo Machiavelli
What is it about : A 14th Century statesman from Florence outlined the strategy, psychology, theory, scenarios, conduct and craft required to rule and govern an empire. The Author peppered his (in)famous book with vivid illustrations from near and afar in both geography and time from Alexander, Roman Caesars, French kings and Italian dukes.
Some thoughts after having read the book : "The end justifies the means" had probably been the first and most famous maxim from Machiavelli's book of statecraft, anyone would have heard of and talked about. Was he simply stating the obvious in human nature, or was he well ahead of his time or perhaps he was the first to simply put down on paper the cunning, ruthlessness and charm required to be a modern day politician ? At least all of the above would be my answer - present day examples abound with countries taking profit through war mongering, apparent people-elected leaders still ruled by fear or diplomacy had simply been a matter of "truth lies where the shell of a canon would land". I fancied that the long history of China with its many emperors, ministers, premiers, warriors and strategists would be an equally educational arena for would-be rulers.
Would I recommend this book to you : A fascinating book detailing the obvious, darker or the natural side of human behavior. Readers would perhaps gain clearer insights into the field of modern-day politics, diplomacy and the gaming between nation states in our present world of increasingly multi-tiers political theaters. A must-read for would-be students in politics and history.
