Niccolo Machiavelli - Collected Works, incl. The Prince (32 books...

* Niccolo Machiavelli - Collected Works, incl. The Prince (32 books)

NICCOLÒ MACHIAVELLI (1469–1527) was a Florentine diplomat, political thinker, historian, and literary writer whose work marked a decisive break from medieval political philosophy and helped shape modern political thought. Living during the turbulence of Renaissance Italy—an era of fragile republics, foreign invasions, and shifting alliances—Machiavelli drew his ideas from direct political experience rather than abstract moral ideals. His service to the Florentine Republic, particularly as a secretary and diplomat, exposed him to the practical mechanics of power, diplomacy, and statecraft, experiences that deeply informed his writings.

THE PRINCE (1532), his best known work, is a concise and provocative treatise on rulership that analyzes how power is acquired, maintained, and lost. In contrast to earlier thinkers who emphasized virtue in a moral or Christian sense, Machiavelli focused on virtù as political skill, adaptability, and decisiveness, and on fortuna as the unpredictable forces shaping human affairs. Drawing on ancient Roman history, his DISCOURSES ON LIVY (1531) argue that popular participation, strong institutions, and civic virtue are essential for the longevity of a state, revealing Machiavelli’s enduring commitment to republican ideals.

Beyond these two major political works, Machiavelli authored several other important texts that expand his political and intellectual range. THE ART OF WAR (1521) is a systematic treatise advocating citizen militias over mercenary armies, reflecting his belief that military strength and civic responsibility are inseparable. THE HISTORY OF FLORENCE (1532), commissioned by the Medici, traces the city’s political conflicts and evolution, blending historical narrative with political analysis. These works show Machiavelli not only as a theorist of power but also as a historian concerned with patterns of conflict, institutional failure, and political renewal.

Machiavelli was also an accomplished literary writer, producing comedies, poetry, and short prose works that reveal a satirical and humanistic side often overshadowed by his political reputation. His play THE MANDRAGOLA (1524) is considered a masterpiece of Renaissance comedy, exposing hypocrisy, corruption, and self-interest through sharp wit and social critique. Other literary works, such as CLIZIA (c. 1525), the satirical tale BELFAGOR (1515), and his poems and personal letters, demonstrate his keen psychological insight and stylistic versatility. Taken together, Machiavelli’s political and literary writings present a complex thinker whose enduring influence lies in his unflinching analysis of human nature, power, and the realities of political life.


The following books are in PDF and/or ePUB format as indicated:

* Art of War [tr. Lynch] (Chicago, 2003) – ePUB / PDF
* Art of War [tr. Wood, 2e] (Da Capo, 2001) – ePUB
* Chief Works & Others, 3 vols. [tr. Gilbert] (Duke, 1989) – ePUB / PDF
* Collected Works (Delphi Classics, 2017) – ePUB
* Discourses [ed. Crick] (Penguin, 2003) – ePUB
* Discourses on Livy [tr. Bondanella] (Oxford, 2003) – ePUB
* Discourses on Livy [tr. Mansfield & Tarcov] (Chicago, 1996) – ePUB / PDF
* Discourses on Livy [tr. Thomson] (Dover, 2007) – ePUB / PDF
* Essential Writings [tr. Constantine] (Modern Library, 2007) – ePUB
* Florentine Histories [tr. Banfield & Mansfield] (Princeton, 1988) – PDF
* Life of Castruccio Castracani [tr. Brown] (Alma, 2020) – ePUB
* On Conspiracies [tr. Walker & Richardson] (Penguin, 2010) – ePUB
* Political, Historical and Literary Writings [ed. Jurdjevic & Ray] (Pennsylvania, 2019) – ePUB
* Portable Machiavelli [ed. Bondanella & Musa] (Penguin, 1979) – ePUB / PDF
* The Prince [tr. Adams, 2e] (Norton Critical Edition, 1992) – PDF
* The Prince [tr. Atkinson] (Hackett, 2008) – PDF
* The Prince [tr. Bondanella] (Oxford, 2005) – ePUB / PDF
* The Prince [tr. Bull] (Penguin, 2003) – ePUB
* The Prince [tr. Connell, 2e] (Bedford/St. Martin's, 2016) – PDF
* The Prince [tr. Donno] (Bantam, 2003) – ePUB
* The Prince [tr. Goodwin] (Dante UP, 2003) – PDF
* The Prince [tr. Mansfield, 2e] (Chicago, 1998) – PDF
* The Prince [tr. Parks] (Penguin, 2011) – ePUB
* The Prince [ed. Skinner & Price, 2e] (Cambridge, 2019) – PDF
* The Prince & Other Writings [tr. Rebhorn] (Barnes & Noble, 2003) – ePUB
* Selected Political Writings [tr. Wootton] (Hackett, 1994) – PDF

== LITERARY WORKS ==

* Comedies of Machiavelli [tr. Sices & Atkinson] (UPNE, 1985) – PDF
* Literary Works of Machiavelli [tr. Hale] (Oxford, 1961) – PDF

== LETTERS ==

* Letters [ed. Gilbert] (Chicago, 1988) – PDF
* Machiavelli and His Friends: Personal Correspondence [tr. Atkinson & Sices] (Northern Illinois, 1996) – PDF


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