Machiavelli, Patrick Boucheron
Machiavelli, Patrick Boucheron
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Machiavelli
The Art of Teaching People What to Fear

Author: Patrick Boucheron, Willard Wood

Narrator: Mack Sanderson

Unabridged: 2 hr 22 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 12/01/2020

Synopsis

In a series of poignant vignettes, a preeminent historian makes a compelling case for Machiavelli as an unjustly maligned figure with valuable political insights that resonate as strongly today as they did in his time.Whenever a tempestuous period in history begins, Machiavelli is summoned, because he is known as one for philosophizing in dark times. In fact, since his death in 1527, we have never ceased to read him to pull ourselves out of torpors. But what do we really know about this man apart from the term invented by his detractors to refer to that political evil, Machiavellianism?It was Machiavelli’s luck to be disappointed by every statesman he encountered throughout his life—that was why he had to write The Prince. If the book endeavors to dissociate political action from common morality, the question still remains today of, not why, but for whom did Machiavelli write this? Was it for princes or for those who want to resist them? Is the art of governing to take power or to keep it? And what is meant by “the people?” Can they govern themselves? Beyond cynical advice for the powerful, Machiavelli meditates profoundly on the idea of popular sovereignty because the people know best who oppresses them.With verve and a delightful erudition, Patrick Boucheron sheds light on the life and works of this unclassifiable visionary, illustrating how we can continue to use him as a guide in times of crisis.

About Patrick Boucheron

Patrick Boucheron is a renowned French historian. He previously taught medieval history at the École normale supérieure and the University of Paris and is currently a professor of history at the Collège de France. He is the author of twelve books, including Machiavelli: The Art of Teaching People What to Fear, and the editor of five, including France in the World, which became a bestseller in France.

About Willard Wood

Willard Wood has translated more than twenty-five books from the French. He is a recipient of the Lewis Galantière Award for Literary Translation and a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Translation.

About Mack Sanderson

Mack Sanderson has voiced audiobooks, commercials, promos, documentaries, and audio tours for leading art museums in the United States and Canada. He was born and raised in New York City, and after living in many cities across the US, Canada, and Europe, is currently based in Manhattan.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Marks54 on February 24, 2020

Patrick Boucheron is a distinguished French historian who has written a short general book on Machiavelli. This is a rich and subtle book with the general message that stereotypical views of Machiavelli that have developed in the 500 years since his death are erroneous and unjust. Rather, Machiavell......more

Goodreads review by Derek on March 17, 2023

I just finished another massively detailed biography of Machiavelli but this short but playfully original biography gave me much more think about. The book makes Machiavelli feel relevant today. The accompanying artwork is fascinating. Now I have to read his Discourses and History of Florence. I’m l......more

Goodreads review by Narkkipiispa on January 31, 2022

Really nice, but also simple dive into Machiavelli. Would recommend.......more

Goodreads review by B on November 30, 2019

A short book that is more of a compilation of a historian’s interesting perception on Machiavelli’s character and thoughts, based on weekly speeches he delivered on radio. Boucheron presents Machiavelli in a more untainted light (devoid of the negative clout he always carries), presenting him as an......more

Goodreads review by Clifford on August 28, 2020

This was a very interesting little book about a thinker many of think we know but probably don't. I read two books last year that deal with the same period: a biography of da Vinci and The Swerve. This makes a fine companion volume (although it's interesting that da Vinci and many other important fi......more

Quotes

“This wise, witty, razor-sharp anatomy of Machiavelli demonstrates why the most notorious thinker of the Renaissance is the perfect companion for our own time.” Stephen Greenblatt, New York Times bestselling author

“Offers a knowing guide to Machiavelli’s life and work…Boucheron makes a clever case.” New York Times

“To reframe our understanding of Machiavelli, Mr. Boucheron asks, Who was he writing for?…If The Prince was meant to help ordinary people understand what their leaders were up to, then it is not a handbook for the power-crazed but a means of stopping them.” Wall Street Journal

Packed with insights into how Machiavelli has been construed and misconstrued down the ages and why his ideas still resonate so powerfully today…Boucheron’s book…reminds us that Machiavelli is no advocate of unbridled state violence.” Financial Times (London)

“Patrick Boucheron has the talent of good teachers: he makes history accessible for everyone.” Le Monde (Paris)

“Boucheron argues provocatively for his relevance to our own times…‘to teach us to think in heavy weather.’ A penetrating portrait of a complex political thinker.”  Kirkus Reviews

“Boucheron isn’t interested simply in analyzing Machiavelli’s political thought. He also covers the era in which Machiavelli lived and wrote…He wanted to demonstrate that Machiavelli’s political thought is still relevant today as it clarifies that politics, and the world, are anything but neat and tidy.” Library Journal

Awards

  • New York Times Editor’s Choice
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