Be Like the Fox
£9.99
Niccolò Machiavelli lived in a fiercely competitive world, one where brute wealth, brazen liars and ruthless self-promoters seemed to carry off all the prizes; where the wealthy elite grew richer at the expense of their fellow citizens. In times like these, many looked to crusading religion to solve their problems, or they turned to a new breed of leaders – super-rich dynasties like the Medici or military strongmen like Cesare Borgia; upstarts from outside the old ruling classes. In the republic of Florence, Machiavelli and his contemporaries faced a choice: should they capitulate to these new princes, or fight to save the city’s democratic freedoms? ‘Be Like the Fox’ follows Machiavelli’s dramatic quest for political and human freedom through his own eyes.
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‘A ripping read … fascinating, charming, enjoyably unorthodox’ Daily Telegraph
Was Niccolò Machiavelli really the cynical schemer of legend – or was he a profound ethical thinker, who tried to save the democratic freedom of Renaissance Florence as it was threatened by ruthless dynasties? This revelatory biography shows us a man of fox-like dissimulation: a master of disguise in dangerous times.
‘A gripping portrait of a brilliant political thinker, who understood the dangers of authoritarianism and looked for ways to curb them’ The New Yorker
‘Compelling … this unconventional biography questions whether the philosopher deserves his reputation as an advocate for tyranny’ Julian Baggini, Financial Times
| Weight | 0.281 kg |
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| Dimensions | 19.8 × 12.9 × 2.1 cm |
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| Cover | Paperback |
| Pages | xxii, 360 |
| Language | English |
| Edition | |
| Dewey | 323.4401 (edition:23) |
| Readership | General – Trade / Code: K |
