The Prince

Ian Richardson, an actor best known perhaps for his performance as a very Machiavellian Prime Minister in House of Cards, a BBC miniseries, sounds every bit the same well bred, dignified and ruthless schemer in this reading of The Prince. The book retains a great deal of relevance, with themes such as the promotion of pre-emptive strikes, the political uses of religion, and cultivation of fear for political gain. Many leading political figures are very influenced by this book. The influencial neo-conservative thinker Michael Ledeen even considers Machiavelli an 'idealist.' Listen to this for some real insight into the mechanics of power.

I know I'm not the first to say this, but it is amazing to see how relevant this work still is, and will probably continue to be, as long as human beings are the same. Machiavelli presents a brilliant analysis of history and draws frighteningly convincing conclusions on "how to rule". Morals, honesty and lawfulness are all considered and dismissed as irrefutable laws: if one's object is to be a successful ruler, one should definitely strive to appear generous and kind, but to know when and how not to be those things. As relevant today as it was almost 500 years ago.

The narration on this audiobook is nothing short of perfect.

Elegantly written and read! Highly recommended.

I am going to buy a hard copy of the book. Often when I read a book that I want to refer to in the future I turn around and buy a hard copy. However, this was so interesting and insightful that I may even listen to the book again. This is a classic because it is genius. It clearly and concisely lays out the political strategy used by President Obama to gain power, and I suspect others have used parts as well. Obviously, you can not murder your opponents, but you can do everything possible to destroy (legally) those who oppose you. That is clearly the strategy used by everyone in power these days. Except in Iran, Syria, Egypt, or Libya where they actually do kill their opponents. Watch Putin as he deals with his political opponents, he jails them or runs them out of the country, or has them killed. Nothing has changed much, only the names and dates. This is as good an analysis of political (or bureaucratic) behavior as one can find.

Really, for me the Prince was unique. I like old books that shed light on our modern lives. I include "Democracy in America" by D' Tocqueville and the "Protestant Ethic" by Max Weber in that category. I also include "Confessions" by St. Augustine and Plato's descriptions of Socrates's works.

Machiavelli's description of his analysis of ancient kingdoms and principalities and how they were brought low by 1). other Nobles/elites; 2). the common people; 3). foreigners; or 4). Their own army. This of course is exactly the same from ancient times through today.

No, I listened to it over a period of days.

I did not listen to the Prince until i was 59 years old. I should have listened to it when i was 29! This is good instruction for anyone analyzing any organization and its leadership and power struggles. Understanding these basic principles will help one make sense of the world in which we live.

This one is ALL about the voice. The late and much-lamented Ian Richardson was one of my favorite actors. His reading is a pleasure to listen to while he imparts superb clarity to Messer Machiavelli's thoughts.

I remember reading this for school. I loved it then and I love it now. The guidance it gives a person helps in leadership development all the way to a hostile takeover. Even though I am not a fan of takeovers, I felt I should put this in my review. Ian Richardson gave the writing a sense of historical importance. Great book to read. Great book to listen to.

Awesome book. Gave incredible insight to what is going on in today's politics. Must be required reading for members of congress. Ian Richardson reads the book as if he has memorized his lines and is reading it as if he were reading it to The Prince. His knowledge was worth more than gold. I was sad it was over...

The narrator is great but the content is too out-of-principles for me!!
Just finished the 7 habits of highly effective people listening to Stephen Covey emphasizing for 12 hours on the importance of real deep principles then Machiavelli, feeling dizzy :)

The clear, concise definitions of what each cataglory is and how to maintain your power in each.

That it provided examples of possible pit fall and how to avoild them.

good

that this book deserves further study by anyone who craves power.

It's a pity this wonderful classic is read in a style which is too pompous and afected to be plesant.