The Prince cover art

The Prince

Preview

Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Prince

By: Niccolò Machiavelli, W. K. Marriott - translator
Narrated by: Denis Daly
Try Premium Plus free

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $22.99

Buy Now for $22.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.
Cancel

About this listen

This treatise on politics was the fruit of Machiavelli's many years of experience as a diplomat and historian and circulated in 1513 but not published until 1532. It was dedicated to Lorenzo de Medici, a member of the ruling dynasty of Florence.

In Machiavelli's view the ideal ruler is an effective executive rather than a moral paragon. If one desires power, one must take all the appropriate steps to acquire and maintain it. As models of successful princes, Machiavelli offers the examples of Pope Alexander VI; his son, Cesare Borgia; and Ferdinand of Aragon - men who were able, energetic, persuasive and intimidating and always prepared to act unethically if it suited their purposes.

The essential immorality of Machiavelli's central premise - that in politics the end justifies the means - led to the book being banned by Pope Paul IV in 1559.The translator has appended two other works by Machiavelli that describe the modus operandi of an effective ruler: a description of the methods adopted by Cesare Borgia at Sinigaglia in 1502 in removing his enemies and a biography of Castruccio Castracani (1284-1328), the ruler of Lucca.

Public Domain (P)2017 Voices of Today
Classics Pope

What listeners say about The Prince

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 0 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    0
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 0 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    0
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.