Description
Book SynopsisThe man whose name is shorthand for all that is ugly in politics was more nuanced than his reputation suggests. Celenza’s portrait of Machiavelli removes the varnish to reveal not just the hard-nosed philosopher but the skilled diplomat, learned commentator on ancient history, comic playwright, tireless letter writer, and thwarted lover.
Trade ReviewMachiavellian. The very word calls up images of plots, daggers and devious minds. Christopher Celenza separates the man from the melodrama. -- Steven Carroll * Sydney Morning Herald *
Both readable and trustworthy. -- Steve Donoghue * Open Letters Monthly *
Demonstrates how Machiavelli’s thoughts on conflict and leadership are relevant to today’s political world. -- L. B. Gimelli * Choice *
A brief, erudite exposition of the Florentine secretary’s mores and intentions. In this accessible work, Celenza explores why Machiavelli’s
The Prince continues to enthrall readers and how the author’s other, less-well-known works, such as his comedies, can help enrich the way we understand him…A compelling portrait of the life of a man ‘subject to and involved in history, who believed…that by interpreting the past sagely, one could act more fruitfully in the present.’ * Kirkus Reviews *
By setting the author of
The Prince in his historical context, Christopher Celenza captures the brilliance, risk-taking, danger, and sheer exuberant delight of the Italian Renaissance. With particular sensitivity to the precise nuances of Machiavelli’s language, Celenza enables us to seize upon what continues to be relevant in his work to our own time and place. -- Stephen Greenblatt, author of
The Swerve: How the World Became ModernCelenza’s Machiavelli is a man passionately engaged in history, a scholar of the past whose interests run from the remote annals of ancient Rome to the tormented chronicles of early modern Italy, and an unflaggingly committed participant in the events of his own time. The result is a singularly humane portrait of a wise man making his way through what was often a cruel, chaotic world. -- Ingrid Rowland, University of Notre Dame
