The Prince (Version 4)

Written by:
Niccolo Machiavelli
Narrated by:
Clive Catterall

Unabridged Audiobook

Ratings
Book
74
Narrator
28
Release Date
February 2015
Duration
3 hours 16 minutes
Summary
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" mamuals 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.

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.

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)
Reviews
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Christina P

FANTASTIC READ! Great voice! thank you

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Anonymous

Brilliantly written and narrated.

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Anonymous

every man should read this at least once

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Anthony B.

Most enjoyable.

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Jonathon S.

It was to slow.

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Anonymous

Great book well presented in

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Kainster

Great narration timeless manual for governing

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Anonymous

I liked to a lot. It was full of great advice if ever I chose to be a leader of men.

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