GUARDIAN BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2017
LONGLISTED FOR THE HISTORICAL WRITERS’ ASSOCIATION NON-FICTION CROWN 2017
‘A ripping read … fascinating, charming, enjoyably unorthodox’ Daily Telegraph
Was Niccolò Machiavelli really the cynical schemer of legend – or was he a profound ethical thinker, who tried to save the democratic freedom of Renaissance Florence as it was threatened by ruthless dynasties? This revelatory biography shows us a man of fox-like dissimulation: a master of disguise in dangerous times.
‘A gripping portrait of a brilliant political thinker, who understood the dangers of authoritarianism and looked for ways to curb them’ The New Yorker
‘Compelling … this unconventional biography questions whether the philosopher deserves his reputation as an advocate for tyranny’ Julian Baggini, Financial Times
