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Machiavelli, master of power

The story and meaning of Machiavelli鈥榮 The Prince, long read as a manual on power and what it entails.

Over five hundred years ago, dismissed diplomat Niccol貌 Machiavelli produced his most famous work, The Prince. Written on the fringes of the Italian city of Florence, the book has long been read as a priceless guide to power and what holding it truly involves. But who was the man behind the work? Why did he claim that a leader must be prepared to act immorally? And why did the name of this one-time political insider become a byword for cunning and sinister strategy?

Rajan Datar explores the life and impact of Machiavelli鈥檚 The Prince with writer and scholar Erica Benner, historian professor Quentin Skinner, and journalist and novelist David Ignatius.

[Image: Circa 1499, Niccol貌 Machiavelli. Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images]

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39 minutes

Last on

Sun 30 May 2021 13:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Thu 27 May 2021 09:06GMT
  • Thu 27 May 2021 23:06GMT
  • Sun 30 May 2021 13:06GMT

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