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1Prince

By Niccolò Machiavelli

<i>ll Principe</i> (The Prince) is a political treatise by the Florentine writer Niccolò Machiavelli, originally called “De Principatibus” (About Principalities). It was written around 1513, but not published until 1532, five years after Machiavelli’s death. The treatise is not actually representative of his published work during his lifetime, but it is certainly the best remembered one. (Summary from Wikipedia.org)

2History of Florence and of the Affairs of Italy, Vol. 1

By Niccolò Machiavelli

History of Florence and of the Affairs of Italy is an historical account by Niccolò Machiavelli. Toward the end of 1520, the Cardinal Giulio of Medici, later Pope Clement VII, offered Machiavelli the appointment to write a history of Florence. Although Machiavelli was reluctant to accept, accepting was his only way to regain the good graces of the Medici who had regained power and were in a position to offer him employment and protection. Doing the history also provided a way for Machiavelli’s views to become the “official” history of Florentine and Italian affairs. Once completed, the work was presented officially to Giulio, now Pope, in May of 1526. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Karen Merline.)<br /><br /> Per Project Gutenberg, this text was taken from a Universal Classics Library edition, published in 1901 by W. Walter Dunne, New York and London. The translator was not named.

3History of Florence and of the Affairs of Italy, Vol. 2

By Niccolò Machiavelli

History of Florence and of the Affairs of Italy is an historical account by Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527). Toward the end of 1520, the Cardinal Giulio of Medici, later Pope Clement VII, offered Machiavelli the appointment to write a history of Florence. Although Machiavelli was reluctant to accept, accepting was at that time his only possible way to regain the good graces of the Medici. Doing the history also provided a way for Machiavelli’s views to become the “official” history of Florentine and Italian affairs. Once completed, the work was presented officially to Giulio, now Pope, in May of 1526. The translator is unknown, but the copyright has been cleared by Wikipedia. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Karen Merline.)

4Prince (Version 2)

By Niccolò Machiavelli

The Prince (Italian: Il Principe) is a political treatise by the Italian diplomat, historian and political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli. The descriptions within The Prince have the general theme of accepting that ends of princes, such as glory, and indeed survival, can justify the use of immoral means to achieve those ends. (Introduction by Wikipedia)

5Prince (Version 3)

By Niccolò Machiavelli

The Prince (Italian: Il Principe) is a political treatise by the Italian diplomat, historian and political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli. From correspondence a version appears to have been distributed in 1513, using a Latin title, De Principatibus (About Principalities). But the printed version was not published until 1532, five years after Machiavelli's death. This was done with the permission of the Medici pope Clement VII, but "long before then, in fact since the first appearance of the Prince in manuscript, controversy had swirled about his writings". <br/><br/>Although it was written as if it were a traditional work in the Mirror of Princes style, it is generally agreed that it was especially innovative. This is only partly because it was written in the Vernacular (Italian) rather than Latin, a practice which had become increasingly popular since the publication of Dante's Divine Comedy and other works of Renaissance literature. <br/><br/>The Prince is sometimes claimed to be one of the first works of modern philosophy, especially modern political philosophy, in which the effective truth is taken to be more important than any abstract ideal. It was also in direct conflict with the dominant Catholic and scholastic doctrines of the time concerning how to consider politics and ethics.<br/><br/>Although it is relatively short, the treatise is the most remembered of his works and the one most responsible for bringing the word "Machiavellian" into wide usage as a pejorative term. It also helped make "Old Nick" an English term for the devil, and even contributed to the modern negative connotations of the words "politics" and "politician" in western countries. In terms of subject matter it overlaps with the much longer Discourses on Livy, which was written a few years later. In its use of near contemporary Italians as examples of people who perpetrated criminal deeds for politics, another lesser-known work by Machiavelli which The Prince has been compared to is the Life of Castruccio Castracani. <br/><br/>The descriptions within The Prince has the general theme of accepting the aims of princes; such as glory, and indeed survival, can justify the use of immoral means to achieve those ends. (Summary by Wikipedia)

Het boek bevat raadgevingen voor vorsten over hoe ze hun staat moeten besturen. De voornaamste bezigheid van de vorst moest volgens hem het bemachtigen, consolideren en in stand houden van zijn macht zijn. Hij was vol bewondering voor grote staatsmannen, omdat ze eenheid, orde, vrede en voorspoed brachten voor de bevolking. Hij maakte een onderscheid tussen de heersers en het volk; tussen degenen die willen heersen en degenen die niet beheerst willen worden. Hij koos duidelijk de kant van de heersers. Machiavelli was op zoek naar een principe nuovo (nieuwe vorst) om de vreemdelingen te verdrijven en Italië te herenigen. Hiermee had hij voornamelijk de Katholieke Kerk op het oog, die hij het liefst verbannen zag uit de Florentijnse stadstaat. Hij wijdde zijn leven aan het Italiaanse vaderland en wilde dat Italië opnieuw zo groot en machtig werd als het oude Rome. Machiavelli staat bekend om amorele machtspolitiek op basis van staatsmacht, militaire kracht en een open oog voor machtsuitbreiding. - Summary by Wikipedia

7Prince (Version 4)

By Niccolò Machiavelli

This book is a five hundred year old manual for how to run a kingdom or principality. Written in 1513 but not published until 1532, "The Prince" generated controversy even before it got into print. Unlike the many previous "how-to" manuals for new rulers, "The Prince" only judged actions by their effectiveness and did not consider morals or ethics at all. Some of the suggestions were so brutal and amoral that many critics in the 18th century considered "The Prince" to be a satire, as they could not believe that any philosopher would seriously promote such actions. But perhaps the real reason for the discomfort of Machiavelli's critics is that he accurately observes and reports the actions of the most effective rulers of Renaissance Italy.<br><br>Despite questions about Machiavelli's intention, there was no question about the effectiveness of his methods. Copies of "The Prince" were owned and studied by Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII of England, the founding fathers of the American revolution, the leaders of the Parliamentarians who destroyed the Monarchy in the English Civil War, the leaders of the Glorious Revolution who restored the Monarchy twenty years later, Napoleon Bonaparte, Joseph Stalin and Benito Mussolini and many others. In the late 20th Century it was even considered the "Mafia Bible" by mobsters John Gotti and Ray DeMeo.<br><br>So if you have recently acquired a kingdom or suddenly become the head of an organised crime family, this is the book for you. It's interesting for the rest of us too. (Summary by Clive Catterall)

Il Principe (titolo originale in lingua latina: De Principatibus, "Riguardo i Principati") è un trattato di dottrina politica scritto da Niccolò Machiavelli nel 1513, nel quale espone le caratteristiche dei principati e dei metodi per mantenerli e conquistarli. Si tratta senza dubbio della sua opera più nota e celebrata, quella dalle cui massime (spesso superficialmente interpretate) sono nati il sostantivo "machiavellismo" e l'aggettivo "machiavellico". - Summary from http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Il_Principe<br><br>Proof-listeners: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/9185">mrnmrz72</a> and <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/10179">Sonia</a>

9Ruhtinas

By Niccolò Machiavelli

Ruhtinas on erään Firenzeläisen valtiosihteerin, Niccolo Machiavellin, ohjekirja ruhtinaille, jotka haluavat säilyttää tai lisätä ruhtinaskuntainsa valtaa. Se on kirjoitettu renessansin ajan Italiassa, jolloin koko maa oli jakautunut pieniin, toisiansa nokitteleviin kaupunkivaltioihin ja se on omistettu sille ruhtinaalle, jota Machiavelli toivoo koko kansan yhdistäjäksi. Ruhtinas on yksi maailman luetuimmista ja arvostetuimmista kirjallisista teoksista. Vai pitäisikö sanoa epäarvostetuimmista, sillä se oli pitkään Indexissä, eli Kirkon kiellettyjen kirjojen listalla ja herättänyt lukijoissa läpi historian paljon kauhistelua ja pelon sekasita kunnioitusta. Sitä pidetään reaalipolitiikan peruskirjana, jossa Machiavelli kertoo suoraan miten asiat ovat, ei miten niiden pitäisi olla. Monet ovat löytäneet Machiavellin ohjeet hyödyllisiksi myös nykyajan arki- ja liike-elämässä. - Summary by Harri Tapani Ylilammi

The Art of War (1521) is the only book published by Niccolo Machiavelli during his lifetime, and he saw it as one of his finest achievements. The Art of War develops many themes introduced in Machiavelli’s earlier works “The Prince” and “Discourses” and presents them as the collected wisdom of a fictional leader Lord Fabrizio Colonna. The book is constructed as a series of dialogues supposedly held during a summer afternoon spent in the Orti Oricellari gardens in Florence.<br><br>The stated aim is “To honor and reward virtue, not to have contempt for poverty, to esteem the modes and orders of military discipline, to constrain citizens to love one another, to live without factions, to esteem less the private than the public good, and other such things which could easily be added in these times.” As in “The Prince” Machiavelli develops the idea of limited warfare, where force is used as an extension of politics, but now also introduces elements of psychological warfare. In the first part of the book Machiavelli strongly warns that any state establishing a standing army must take special measures are taken to prevent military leaders gaining too much control. If the state ignores this it risks a military coup: something we still see today.<br><br>The Art of War was a standard text on military tactics for three hundred years, only losing favour when developments in the range and accuracy of firearms made the Linear Tactics it described obsolete.<br><br>This translation by Henry Neville was published in 1675 when The Art of War was still considered a practical military manual. - Summary by Clive Catterall

11Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livius, Book 1

By Niccolò Machiavelli

In "Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livius", posthumous work by the author of The Prince, Machiavelli discusses the useful lessons that could be learnt from the past for his present. As the title mentions, the subject of the work is the first ten books of Livy's <i>Ab urbe condita</i>, which cover the expansion of Rome from the legendary monarchy of Romulus to the end of the Third Samnite War (293 BCE). The whole work contains three books, with 142 numbered chapters - perhaps not a coincidence, since Livy's history also contained 142 books. In the first book, the author discusses things that happened inside of Rome as the result of public counsel. - Summary by Leni

12Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livius, Book 2

By Niccolò Machiavelli

In "Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livius", posthumous work by the author of The Prince, Machiavelli discusses the useful lessons that could be learnt from the past for the present. As the title mentions, the subject of the work is the first ten books of Livy's Ab urbe condita, which cover the expansion of Rome from the legendary monarchy of Romulus to the end of the Third Samnite War (293 BCE). The whole work contains three books, with 142 numbered chapters - perhaps not a coincidence, since Livy's history also contained 142 books. In the second book, the author discusses decisions made by the Roman people pertaining to the increase of its empire. - Summary by Leni

13Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livius, Book 3

By Niccolò Machiavelli

In "Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livius", posthumous work by the author of The Prince, Machiavelli discusses the useful lessons that could be learnt from the past for the present. As the title mentions, the subject of the work is the first ten books of Livy's Ab urbe condita, which cover the expansion of Rome from the legendary monarchy of Romulus to the end of the Third Samnite War (293 BCE). The whole work contains three books, with 142 numbered chapters - perhaps not a coincidence, since Livy's history also contained 142 books. In the third book, the author discusses how the actions of particular men made Rome great. - Summary by Leni

14mandragola

By Niccolò Machiavelli

Callimaco è innamorato di donna Lucrezia che però è una donna onesta sposata a Messer Nicia. Come fare per conquistarla?.... - Summary by Pier<br> Dramatis Personae: <br> Prima Ninfa: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/15738">FrancescaRoma</a><br> Seconda Ninfa: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/13092">Emanuela</a><br> Primo Pastore: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/12428">Pier</a><br> Secondo Pastore: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/13587">Kazbek</a><br> Lettore del Prologo: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/15186">Thiago</a><br> Callimaco: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/15423">Giovanni</a><br> Siro: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/12360">Francesco Carzedda</a><br> Messer Nicia: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/14415">Lorenzo</a><br> Ligurio: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/12428">Pier</a><br> Frate Timoteo: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/9772">Renzo Clerico</a><br> Una donna: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/13092">Emanuela</a><br> Sostrata: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/14887">Raffaella Liuzzo</a><br> Lucrezia: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/9185">Marrzia Marianera</a><br> Indicazioni di scena: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/15151">Claudia Graziano</a><br> Montaggio di <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/12428">Pier</a> col contributo di <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/12360">Francesco</a> per le parti corali<br>