Product Description

A brief and enlightening exploration of Machiavelli's life and ideas, presented in entertaining and accessible fashion. A highly refined appraisal of the philosopher and his work, authoritative and clearly presented.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2521958 in Books
• Published on: 1998-09-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 96 pages

Amazon.com Review
In writing about Machiavelli, Paul Strathern must contend with centuries of posthumous demonification by critics who have seen The Prince as a recipe for tyranny and evil. (Bertrand Russell, for one, declared it "a handbook for gangsters.") Tyranny, perhaps, but as Strathern points out, Machiavelli's political philosophy "was not evil in itself. It was just extremely realistic."

But The Prince is, as philosophical works go, fairly easygoing; it's about the same length as this primer, with a clarity that renders further explication somewhat superfluous. Machiavelli in 90 Minutes, then, is primarily of use if you want a quick-and-dirty biography that puts the writings in the biographical context of Machiavelli's turbulent fortunes in the political intrigues of Renaissance Florence.

Review
A godsend in this era of the short attention span. -- Daryl Royster Alexander, New York Times

I cannot think of a better way to introduce oneself and one's friends to Western civilization. -- Katherine A. Powers, Boston Globe

Well-written, clear and informed, they have a breezy wit about them...I find them hard to stop reading. -- Richard Bernstein, New York Times

Witty, illuminating, and blessedly concise. -- Jim Holt, Wall Street Journal

Customer Reviews

Fun, quick, more biography than philosophy
Even though you should be able to read it in well under 90 minutes, it does deliver what it says. More a biography of the improtant world-view shaping events in Machiavelli's life. Thin on what Machiavelli actually said and what it means. Maybe the author assumes you already knew. Nevertheless, a good read and worth the few dollars it costs.

A Decent Description of Biographical and Historical Location
Paul Strathern does a good job of providing a very useful description of the historical and biographical context of Machiavelli's works. Without this kind of background, those who attempt to read Machiavelli's most famous work, THE PRINCE, will find their efforts to be frustrating and futile. Strathern's little book is best seen as a useful adjunct to and preparation for Machiavelli's works, not as a kind of CLIFF'S NOTES which provides a systematic delineation of his contribution to political thought (although Strathern does help the reader to understand Machiavelli's view of political theory "as a kind of science independent of morals"). Strathern offers a good contribution with his brief comparison and contrast of Machiavelli's THE PRINCE and DISCOURSES ON LIVY, alerting the reader to the more temperate and considered contribution to political theory provided by the latter work. As Strathern notes, in THE PRINCE, Machiavelli writes from the ruler's point of view, providing guidance for the ruthless consolidation of power. However, in DISCOURSES, he writes from the citizens' point of view, giving them advice on how to run things, "especially how to achieve freedom within the state." In relation to the latter, Strathern cites Machiavelli's seemingly out-of-character assertion that "people are more prudent, more stable, and have better judgment than a prince." All in all, Strathern writes clearly and engagingly, although he tends to indulge in a bit of historical gossip (e.g., his discussion of Cesare Borgia's sister, Lucrezia, daughter of Pope Alessandro VI). In sum, this book is useful as an introduction to Machiavelli's contributions, but is not an adequate substitution for a reading of Machiavelli's works.

Better to be feared than loved
As with all the works in this series this work is clearly written and provides a good outline of the life and the work. Machiavelli is seen by Strathern as a wily and subtle man of action and tells the story of his political career well. The turning point comes as it sometimes does in life with a failure. When Machiavelli loses his political position he retires to his Tuscany estate and there writes the masterpiece for which he will be infamous and famous. As Strathern understands him Machiavelli is above all a keen observer of the political world he knew who described what he saw and understood in the Italian Renaissance world of political in- fighting. 'The Prince's is the handbook which tells the Ruler how to maintain his power. And the ruthlessness, lack of Christian sentiment, required is essential to the prescription. Better to be feared than to be loved, though of course desirable to be both. The formula Machiavelli gives for ruling requires ' virtu' which Strathern perhaps incorrectly likens to Nietzsche's will-to-power. Keeping the ruler in power according to Machiavelli also requires other measures such as not relying on mercenaries, and seizing opportunities for compromise as his native Florence failed to do when it might have in doing so preserved its freedom.