“Never attempt to win by force what can be won by deception.”

One of the most influential books on statecraft ever written, Niccolò Machiavelli’s 1532 treatise The Prince invented modern political philosophy and gave the world the term Machiavellian. It was read by Spain’s King Charles V and King Henry VIII of England and has been influential on world leaders for five centuries. The short but powerful guide outlines a pragmatic path for a prince to be successful, a formula for political victory that is direct and unemotional. The methodology has been called cold and cynical and yet The Prince captures a great deal of truth about human psychology.

Filled with classic lines (“The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.” “If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.”) that are eminently quotable, The Prince is a towering work of theoretical strategy, a must-read for military science and political philosophy students as well as anyone interested in understanding power, what true power is and how to acquire it.

*Includes image gallery.