A new series of beautiful hardcover nonfiction classics with covers designed by Coralie
Bickford-Smith World-changing ideas meet eye-catching design: the best titles of the
extraordinarily successful Great Ideas series are now packaged in Coralie Bickford-Smith's
distinctive award-winning covers. Whether on a well-curated shelf or in your back pocket
these timeless works of philosophical political and psychological thought are absolute
must-haves for book collectors as well as design enthusiasts. As a diplomat in turbulent
fifteenth-century Florence Niccolò Machiavelli knew how quickly political fortunes could rise
and fall. The Prince his tough-minded pragmatic handbook on how power really works made his
name notorious and has remained controversial ever since. How can a leader be strong and
decisive yet still inspire loyalty in his followers? When is it necessary to break the rules?
Is it better to be feared than loved? Examining regimes and their rulers the world over and
throughout history from Roman Emperors to renaissance Popes from Hannibal to Cesare di Borgia
Machievalli answers all these questions in a work of realpolitik that still has shrewd
political lessons for modern times. Tim Parks's acclaimed contemporary translation renders
Machiavelli's pointed original into language that feels as alarming and enlightening as when it
was first written. His introduction discusses Machiavelli's life and reputation and explores
the historical background to the work. For more than sixty-five years Penguin has been the
leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1 500
titles Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and
across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced
by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors as well as
up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
