Here is the world's most famous master plan for seizing and holding power. Astonishing in its candor, The Prince is a disturbingly realistic and prophetic work on what it takes to be a prince, a king, a president.

When, in 1512, Machiavelli was removed from his post in his beloved Florence, he resolved to set down a treatise on leadership that was practical, not idealistic. The prince he envisioned would be unencumbered by ordinary ethical and moral values. Through the years, The Prince has been misunderstood to the extent that Machiavelli's name has become synonymous with unscrupulous political behavior. However, it remains essential reading as the ultimate book on power politics. Included are selections from Machiavelli's Discourses upon the First Ten Books of Titus Livy.

Niccolò Machiavelli was born in Florence in 1469. In 1498 he received an appointment to the chancellery of the Florentine Republic, serving as both an administrator and a diplomat. He was associated with political leaders throughout Italy, most significantly, Cesare Borgia, presumably the model for The Prince.