I have not read The Prince, though I did watch a short synopsis on YouTube before reading, and was not super familiar with Machiavelli or Italian history. I felt like this lack of background made this book less engaging, as I can't really evaluate the premise of Benner's arguments. In general it does seem to me Machiavelli did seem to be a guy who believed in the rule of law, and republics, but if The Prince was written as satire, he didn't do a good job as it seems to have been grossly misinterpreted. ( )

Fantastic! I love the new perspective this book gives me on old Machiavelli. ( )

Mi è piaciuta molto questa biografia di Machiavelli. Mai noiosa, affronta tutte le tappe della sua vita, dando voce a quel gran politicante fiorentino appoggiandosi alla corrispondenza che ci è pervenuta. ( )