In the four and a half centuries since Machiavelli’s death, no single and unanimously accepted interpretation of his ideas has succeeded in imposing itself upon the lively debate over the meaning of his works. Yet there has never been any doubt about the fundamental importance of Machiavelli’s contribution to Western political theory.
The Portable Machiavellibrings together the complete texts of
The Prince,
Belfagor, and
Castruccio Castracani, newly translated by Peter Bondanella and Mark Musa especially for this volume. In addition, the editors include an abridged version of
The Discourses; a play,
The Mandrake Root, in its entirety; seven private letters; and selections from
The Art of Warand
The History of Florence.The Portable Machiavelli - Edited and Translated by Peter Bondanella and Mark Musa Introduction: An Essay on Machiavelli
Note and Acknowlegments
Machiavelli: A Selective Bibliography of Translations, Editions and Criticisms
The Private Letters
The PrinceThe Discourses(abridged)
A Fable: Belfagor, The Devil Who Took a WifeThe Mandrake RootFrom
The Art of WarThe Life of Castruccio Castracani of LuccaFrom
The History of FlorenceNiccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527) was a Florentine statesman who was later forced out of public life. He then devoted himself to studying and writing political philosophy, history, fiction, and drama.
Mark Musa and Peter Bondanella are professors at the Center for Italian Studies at Indiana University. Mark Musa, a former Fulbright and Guggenheim Fellow, is the author of a highly acclaimed translation of Dante’sDivine Comedy. Peter Bondanella, a former Younger Humanist and Senior Fellow of the National Endowment for the Humanities, has published, among other works,Machiavelli and the Art of Renaissance HistoryandFederico Fellini: Essays in Criticism. lĂ-