Introduction 1. Machiavelli’s Life and Times 2. Machiavelli’s Audience and His Intentions 3. Principalities (Chapters 1-5) 4. Virtue and Fortune (Chapters 6-7) 5. Principalities Continued (Chapters 8-11) 6. War (Chapters 12-14) 7. Virtue (Chapters 15-19) 8. War, Prudence, and Counsel (Chapters 20-24) 9. Fortune (Chapter 25-26) 10. Machiavelli’s Political Thought Timeline
Biography
John T. Scott is Professor of Political Science at University of California, Davis.
"An initial encounter with this hugely influential treatise is sure to be much more fruitful and rewarding with this wise and informative guide at hand. All readers will benefit from its helpful method of placing this famous work in both its historical and philosophical contexts, and well-seasoned scholars of Machiavelli are sure to be intrigued by its many fresh insights."
Vickie Sullivan, Tufts University, USA"This is an excellent introduction to the political theory of Machiavelli, informed by the best scholarship on The Prince, which introduces the novice to the work while providing fresh insights for those know it well."
Damian Grace, University of Sydney, AUS"Witty, insightful, and engaging, this guidebook is the best available. It addresses itself to all readers of the Prince, new and old alike, and invites them to consider this ‘little book’ afresh. Scott deftly reveals the ambiguities, uncertainties, and surprises that pervade the Prince, illustrating just what it means to read a book carefully."
Michelle T. Clarke, Dartmouth College, USA
