Macchiavelli by Joseph Marulin
Niccolo Macchiavelli rubbed shoulders with Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci when Florence was at the forefront of the Renaissance, the cultural flowering of Europe.
When the Medici’s were overthrown, as Secretary to the Second Chancery in the Republic of Florence, Macchiavelli worked tirelessly negotiating with Cesare Borgia, Charles V of Germany, to keep the Republic, the city he adored, from being embroiled in the invasion on Catholic Rome.
It is not generally known that during his banishment to Venice he wrote comedies, plays and carnival songs for the Florentines living there. He also wrote discourses on varied subjects such as Livy, money, and an eight volume History of Florence.
Upon return to Florence his knowledge was called upon once more and as a result he wrote his masterpiece, “The Prince”, which gained notoriety as it seemed to give carte blanche to rule without moral restrictions. It was not published until after his death.
I enjoyed Macchiavelli by Joseph Markulin but a good editor would have reduced its length somewhat. Spell-check was inadequate as some words although correct in themselves were not in context. The author seems interesting too.
Win Ramdas
Director of the Board
