One of the first books I read for fun (as opposed to academically) was The Prince. At the time it came across as crisp & pithy, but more like a manual for politics than a living, breathing text (similar to Sun Tzu's The Art of War).
The fantastic thing about this Audio book is that it brings the cadences of The Prince to life. Whereas the book is pretty much dredged for advice & the anecdotes are disgarded, Ian Richardson's presence forces you to engage with his story & with the fascinatingly varied life of Machiavelli. As the other reviewer has said "the late Ian Richardson of House of Cards fame is exactly the right voice for this piece". I would add that his qualities as an actor bring clarity & vivid detail to what is otherwise a political textbook.
And what did Machiavelli live through? Some of the most Interesting times (in all senses!) in Medieval Italian politics, when the Pope, Venetia, France & Spain all vied for dominance of Italy (& all eventually failed in some regard). It is in this backdrop provides fruitful material for Machiavelli to dissect. At each stage Machiavelli states how the states work, what things they did right & what failures lead to their downfall.
As a memorable example, there was the French, who had recently freed themselves of the English & were one of two dominant powers on the Continent. In the early 1500's they invaded Italy (at the invitation of the Pope) & humbled the Venetians. Crucially, they also proved initially popular & were well set to subjudgate 2/3's of Italy. Then they made their major mistake of inviting Spain to split the Kingdom of Naples.
Couple this with their building of Forts, rather than winning over the populus & you can quickly see (through Machiavelli's incisive analysis) why France lost its immense gains as quickly as it had gained them.
And the best part was the ending, where he appeals for a united Italy. In the book this comes over rather plainly, but with Ian Richardson's compelling reading, you really feel the depth of feeling that Machiavelli wished to convey.
My one criticism is that the intense analysis is not ideal if you're listening in the car. To understand the analysis fully it needs your full attention (which may not be possible if you're doing something else at the time). However, this is relatively trivial since you can get the jist of it & read the book itself if you want more detail. There is also nothing to stop you purely listening to it for pleasure - it is only 3 CD's after all...
So, definitely a worthwhile purchase & a valuable insight into the passion & intensity of one of history's greatest political commentators. If you like this particular one, then I thoroughly recommend Dawkins' reading of On The Origin of Species. It is always good to hear dry non-fiction brought to life by a narrator.
Why?
Only a true Machiavellian would understand...
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet or computer – no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Synopsis
Written by the author of "Pearls", this novel tells the story of three women with the world at their feet and one man on their minds.
Top reviews from United Kingdom
There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 February 2010
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 April 2021
Top reviews from other countries
- لماذا لم يتم الارجاع حتى الان المنتج ذهب من عندي منذ عشر ايام ولم ترجعلي الفلوسReviewed in the United Arab Emirates on 22 January 2024
story
-
- FrKurt MessickReviewed in the United States on 3 February 2005
The virtues of Machiavelli
