The Prince

Penguin Classics

By: George Bull - translator, Niccolò Machiavelli

Narrated by: Simon Callow

Brought to you by Penguin.

This Penguin Classic is performed by Simon Callow, actor and director, known for his roles in Four Weddings and a Funeral, Shakespeare in Love, and the BBC adaptation of A Christmas Carol.

As a diplomat in turbulent fifteenth-century Florence, Niccolò Machiavelli, knew how quickly political fortunes could rise and fall. The Prince, his tough-minded, pragmatic handbook on how power really works, made his name notorious and has remained controversial ever since. How can a leader be strong and decisive, yet still inspire loyalty in his followers? When is it necessary to break the rules? Is it better to be feared than loved? Examining regimes and their rulers the world over and throughout history, from Roman Emperors to renaissance Popes, from Hannibal to Cesare di Borgia, Machievalli answers all these questions in a work of realpolitik that still has shrewd political lessons for today.

Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527) was born in Florence, and served the Florentine republic as a secretary and second chancellor, as ambassador and foreign policy-maker. When the Medici family returned to power in 1512 he was suspected of conspiracy, imprisoned and tortured and forced to retire from public life. His most famous work, The Prince, was written in an attempt to gain favour with the Medicis and return to politics.

If you enjoyed The Prince, you might like Plato's Republic, also available in Penguin Classics.

Public Domain (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Tim Parks's swift and supple new translation brings out all its chilling modernity." (Boyd Tonkin, Independent)

"A gripping work, and a gripping translation." (Nicholas Lezard, Guardian)

Great narration

The text speaks for itself and so I will not comment on it.

I will say thus is my favorite audiobook narrator that I’ve ever heard on any book.

Well Done!

I had to read this book for school, and I expected it to be more boring than it was. I enjoyed the book and listening to the narrator really made me feel like I had gone back in time and Machiavelli was reading it to me himself (but in English). Thank you.

Great Penguins Classics book

Excellent translator and narrator. He is what you imagined Makaveli would sound like.
I highly recommend

Bueno

Easy to listen ,....... ....... ...... ......
quick paced very informative

good good good good stuff that was really interesting

Best version to listen to

I bought the Audio Classic version but couldn’t stand the narrator. I caught myself dozing off. This version is much more interesting and to the point.

Realpolitik for Dummies!!

Machiavelli's timeless classic is an impressive masterpiece and guide for practical statesmanship on par with the art of war. Supplying both contemporary and ancient examples, both positive and negative, of leadership and why certain leaders failed and others succeeded. He further outlines core principles that any leader should follow to be successful. In essence his maxim is "the ends justify the means".

Why I purchased this version

This book is exactly what I expected. Content I assume is the same as others but the voice of the Narrator is why I picked this version.

Wisdom that endures

True wisdom ages well, one can see much of these strategum in today's political events. There are also many lessons for the business world, although I personally object to the portions that suggest not being held back by moral issues. One can just take the parts offering sage wisdom and be on the lookout to protect oneself against others engaging in more vicious behavior.

Better than expected

I have had this book on my todo list for years. I was afraid it would be a bit too academically/old language/style. But I loved it. It’s short to the point and easy to follow. It’s a great view in to a world of power and a snapshot of Italy at the time.

The performance is actually really good, but the narrators voice demand a silent listening environment as the pitch and volume have quite some range. This is difficult for my personal use of audio books eg walking in city and public. On the other hand he master both English Latin and Italian very good. So take the 3 stars as a middle value between 2 and 4/5 - definitely good for home use.

Greatest Narrator for The Prince

I could not have wished for a more suitable narrator than Simon Callow. His performance evokes the very essence of Niccolò Machiavelli, imbuing the text with a vivid tonality and fluency that truly bring the work to life. Concurrently reading the book while listening to the audio version allowed me to uncover nuances and details that had eluded me during my initial reading. I highly recommend this audiobook to any aficionado of Renaissance history who seeks a deeper immersion in this seminal work.