Machiavelli was a noted philosopher, historian, and diplomat during the Renaissance era. His life experience, growing up in a tumultuous time when the Holy Roman Empire was warring with France and Spain over control of the region, opened his eyes to corruption and political intrigue. His service in the political sphere further opened his eyes to machinations behind the scenes and what those in power, or who wished to be in power, could do or hide to achieve what they wanted. Living through these historical times allowed him to write about goings on in real time, leaving a historical record of experience for generations to come. His most famous work, The Prince, outlines these very ideas. The work has been considered controversial because it reads as a how-to manual for taking absolute power over an area and the people who inhabit it. There is a lot of discussion surrounding Machiavelli’s insistence that violence and intrigues are just simply a way to an end. This book follows the life of Machiavelli from birth to death, discussing his personal and public life.

I cannot say that this is a book that I would have chosen to read on my own, as I have little to no interested in this person. This was a book that I read as a reference for a paper I had to write, coupled with his book The Prince. This book was well written and contained a lot of useful facts for me to cite in the paper. It painted a good picture about life during the Renaissance, which I also appreciated for my paper. If you are interested in this person, this was a good book.