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The Prince Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Niccolo Machiavelli (Author), Grover Gardner (Narrator), Gildan Media, LLC (Publisher)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 6,282 ratings
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From his perspective in Renaissance Italy, Machiavelli's aim in this classic work was to resolve conflict with the ruling prince, Lorenzo de Medici. Machiavelli based his insights on the way people really are rather than an ideal of how they should be. This is the world's most famous master plan for seizing and holding power. Astonishing in its candor The Prince even today remains a disturbingly realistic and prophetic work on what it takes to be a prince, a king, or a president. When 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. Even today, this sixteenth-century classic has become essential listening for every student of government, and is the ultimate audiobook on power politics.

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  1. Listening Length
    4 hours and 47 minutes
  2. Author
    Niccolo Machiavelli
  3. Narrator
    Grover Gardner
  4. Audible release date
    September 24, 2013
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Gildan Media, LLC
  7. ASIN
    B00FED6OTE
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 4 hours and 47 minutes
Author Niccolo Machiavelli
Narrator Grover Gardner
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date September 24, 2013
Publisher Gildan Media, LLC
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B00FED6OTE
Best Sellers Rank #1,558 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#13 in World History (Audible Books & Originals)
#51 in Classic Literature
#146 in Classic Literature & Fiction

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
6,282 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book easy to read and understand. They appreciate the insights into leadership and Machiavellian thinking that are still relevant today. The book provides good value for money, with clear instructions and straightforward language. Readers enjoy the engaging narrative and historical context.

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ReadabilityInsightLeadershipValue for moneyEnjoymentEase of useHistoryTranslation
197 customers mention "Readability"194 positive3 negative

Customers find the book readable and engaging. They describe it as a quick read that provides a unique insight into the ruling class. The kindle edition is described as good.

"...This book is delightful to read for numerous reasons, among the primary ones are the author's instructive notes and translation that renders..." Read more

"...This particular kindle edition is fairly good; the text is cleanly presented with few typographical or scanning errors, and the translator has..." Read more

"...All the usual conveniences of Kindle applies here: very fast to download via Whispernet, the handiness of being able to annotate and highlight..." Read more

"...Definitely worth your time!" Read more

124 customers mention "Insight"124 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful on how politics were in the Renaissance era. They say it's an excellent compilation of theories and insights that could still apply today. The book is interesting on several levels, including Italian and Mediterranean history. Readers highlight important passages and bookmark pages they want to read again. It's a great read for philosophy in geopolitical matters and conducting business.

"...is more than a little silly -- it's arguably the most influential non-religious work of all time -- but I thought a few comments & historical notes..." Read more

"...via Whispernet, the handiness of being able to annotate and highlight important passages, bookmarking pages you want to reference again later, etc...." Read more

"...than, say, metaphysics or epistemology, this work yields benefits and insights to all who read, mark, inwardly digest, and critically examine the..." Read more

"Great read for philosophy in geo political matters and also for conducting business. It's a must read." Read more

50 customers mention "Leadership"50 positive0 negative

Customers find the book provides leadership insights that are still useful today. They recommend it for political leaders and business managers, as it covers many perspectives on governing issues. The historical account of successful and failed leaders is interesting. The author witnessed many social and political battles and developed an understanding. The book provides the full truth about managing a state without all bulls*** about moral and ethics.

"Great read for philosophy in geo political matters and also for conducting business. It's a must read." Read more

"...I find "The Prince" to still be both pleasurable and frightening in its cynacism...." Read more

"...book has long been a favorite not only for the historical account of successful and failed leaders but also for application to current times...." Read more

"...It is NOT a story, but a documentary of how good leaders and despots alike came to power, held power and lost power...." Read more

21 customers mention "Value for money"21 positive0 negative

Customers find the book offers good value for money. They say the translations are accessible and delightful to read. Readers appreciate the author's account of dealing with society throughout.

"...Machiavelli (and Italy's history) come alive; his translations make The Price accessible and delightful to read...." Read more

"...such, the fact that it's available for free on Kindle makes this a terrific deal, worth every single penny and many more...." Read more

"...The Kindle and audiobook were quite inexpensive and represented a great value. I took my time and used study aides and learned a lot. Thank You..." Read more

"Short book. Mediocre translation. Good overall and price was right" Read more

19 customers mention "Enjoyment"16 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it entertaining, enthralling, and enjoyable to listen to. The voice is described as rich and expressive, providing easy driving entertainment. Readers also mention that the book contains more suspense, machinations, and action than expected.

"...contemporary writing with Italian operatic pageantry, marvel and excitement, which I believe accurately reflects Machiavelli's Renaissance Florence...." Read more

"...Interestingly, I find "The Prince" to still be both pleasurable and frightening in its cynacism...." Read more

"...well, with few errors I noticed (and I'm pretty nit-picky) with unobtrusive, helpful footnotes and translation notes...." Read more

"...the book, the history and the translation difficulties, but without being boring (Reminds me of John Ciardi and Dante's Devine Comedy)...." Read more

17 customers mention "Ease of use"17 positive0 negative

Customers find the book straightforward and instructive. They say it's easy to read and understand, organized as a practical guide. The table of contents is helpful for them.

"...Suffice it to say that it's a fairly easy book to read and make sense of, but again I can't speak to how true this particular edition is to its..." Read more

"...The book is organized as a practical, "how-to" guide which makes it extremely useful...." Read more

"...almost as an aside, but once you understand the placement, it is easy to follow and I personally liked it; however some readers may find the..." Read more

"Almost finished reading the book and it is just common sense, pure and simple. Common sense, however, never ruled the world and still does not...." Read more

12 customers mention "History"12 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's historical content. They appreciate the perspective from the time period and the good advice followed by historical facts. The book provides a portal into Renaissance culture and the woes of a banished leader. It breathes new life into this great Western classic and offers a good look on Ancient politics.

"...The book is a historical account of strategic maneuvers through Northern Italy in order for rulers to dominate neighboring provinces...." Read more

"The book is interesting on several levels, Italian and Mediterranean history on one hand and the social history of leadership on the other hand...." Read more

"I like the perspective from the time period where the author witnessed many social and political battles and developed an understanding of society..." Read more

"...These historic details help clarify history of the importance of leaders...." Read more

150 customers mention "Translation"88 positive62 negative

Customers have different views on the translation. Some find it well-written with clear language and examples, making it a pleasant and easy read. Others mention that the writing can be confusing at times, with spelling mistakes and nonexistent words. The language and syntax are described as old-fashioned and awkward, making it difficult to read.

"...ones are the author's instructive notes and translation that renders Machiavelli writing poetic and readily accessible -- it reads like contemporary..." Read more

"...The Prince is an oft quoted, oft mis-quoted work, used as the philosophical underpinning for much of what is considered both pragmatic and wrong in..." Read more

"...is fairly good; the text is cleanly presented with few typographical or scanning errors, and the translator has clearly made a significant effort to..." Read more

"...The slickness of the Kindle format and capabilities plus the inherit worthiness of the book itself easily nets 4 stars...." Read more

Good buy.
5 out of 5 stars
Good buy.
Cover photo is low budget.. Lol but the contents are on. Good buy.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • P. H.
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Delightful Read -- Reads Like Modern Poetry
    Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    After having read this delightful translation of The Prince, I want to return to one of my favorite cities in Italy -- Florence.

    I don't know the Italian language except that I love hearing operas sung in Italian. (I studied a little Spanish in my younger days.)

    This book is delightful to read for numerous reasons, among the primary ones are the author's instructive notes and translation that renders Machiavelli writing poetic and readily accessible -- it reads like contemporary writing with Italian operatic pageantry, marvel and excitement, which I believe accurately reflects Machiavelli's Renaissance Florence. Professor William J. Connell delivers the goods: "Machiavelli's language is more immediate and much less abstract and 'impersonal' than commonly believed."

    By today's standards, the lessons captured by Machiavelli in The Price are not earth-shattering and seem almost over-simplified. Yet, they will likely continue to resonate for centuries to come because Machiavelli captured the essence of human instincts, needs, desires and aspirations. Politics and governance involve harnessing all available resources through human beings. And in warfare, the United States and allied forces realized the efficacy of winning the "hearts and minds" of the local people in Iraq and Afghanistan, which Machiavelli teaches in The Price.

    In Chapter 19, Machiavelli instructs: "the price should think . . . to avoid those things that could make him hateful and contemptible, and whenever he will avoid this thing, he will have fulfilled his duties and he will not find any peril at all in the other infamies. It makes him hateful . . . if he is rapacious and the usurper of the property and women of his subjects, from which he should abstain. And whenever he does not take away property or honor from the generality of men they live content."

    In Chapter 21, we get a lesson on (modern) Economics 101 from Niccolo Machiavelli:

    "A prince must also show himself a lover of the virtues by giving hospitality to virtuous men, and he must honor those who are excellent in an art. Next, he must encourage his citizens to be able quietly to practice their trades, in commerce, in agriculture and in every other human occupation, so that one man is not afraid to improve his properties for fear they will be taken from him, and another is not afraid to open a business for fear of taxes. . . .[A]t the appropriate times of the year he should keep his people occupied with feast-days and spectacles. And because every city is divided into guilds and wards, he should take account of those collectives, meet with them sometimes, and offer himself as an example of humanity and munificence, while nonetheless always keeping firm his dignity's majesty[.]"

    Machiavelli observes: "And men as a whole judge more with their eyes than their hands, because everyone is permitted to see, but few are permitted to touch. (Ch. 18.)

    Machiavelli cautions: "For even if you have fortresses, if the people hold you in hatred, the fortresses do not save you, since outsiders who will help them are never lacking for the people once they have taken up arms." (Ch. 20.)

    Professor Connell makes Machiavelli (and Italy's history) come alive; his translations make The Price accessible and delightful to read. This work is a book in its own right and I expect it will remain accessible to many future generations of readers. This book is certainly timeless.
    8 people found this helpful
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  • T. S.
    5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most influential books of all time
    Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2009
    Verified Purchase
    The idea of "reviewing" this is more than a little silly -- it's arguably the most influential non-religious work of all time -- but I thought a few comments & historical notes might still be worthwhile.

    "The Prince" was essentially the first work of political realism in Western thought -- the first work of Western political philosophy that concerned itself not with the ideal government (as Plato had done in his _Republic_) but with the practical realities of getting and holding power. To describe the impact and influence of that willingness, that first notion that conventional morality might not be the best guide to success, would be as impossible a task as trying to summarize the influence of Galileo. Napoleon is rumored to have written extensive annotations to this book; Stalin allegedly kept a copy on his nightstand. Half of Shakespeare's villains (Iago, Richard III, etc.) derive their character in whole or part from this text.

    Most of this book is extraordinarily controversial, even today, yet still fundamentally difficult to argue against; there's a reason the Catholic Church kept it on the _Index Librorum Prohibitorum_ for centuries. If you're looking for food for thought, it's here.

    This particular kindle edition is fairly good; the text is cleanly presented with few typographical or scanning errors, and the translator has clearly made a significant effort to present the text as accurately as possible in a modern translation, with several footnotes detailing possible alternate translations of particular words, etc. In addition to the text of _The Prince_, this edition also includes two shorter historical works by Machiavelli, "Descriptions of the Methods Adopted by the Duke Valentino When Murdering Vitellozzo Vitelli, Oliverotto da Fermo, the Signor Pagolo, and the Duke di Gravina Orsini," and "The Life of Castruccio Castracani of Lucca." ("Duke Valentino" is an alternate name for Cesare Borgia). Both additional texts are, in essence, case studies of how contemporary historical figures achieved success by acting according to the precepts which Machiavelli outlines in the main body of the text, and as such are very useful and interesting companion reads.

    As a final note, if anyone has recommendations for histories of Italy in this time period, please link me to them in a comment -- after reading this, I want to read more about the era. Thanks!
    341 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Zel Balija
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good old advices
    Reviewed in Canada on July 7, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    These are 500 years old advices, but they are still applicable.
    Report
  • Jesús Martínez Martínez
    5.0 out of 5 stars I'm ready...
    Reviewed in Mexico on December 1, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    ...to conquer the world and no one will stop me. The world is mine. I am the master of puppets.
    Report
  • Hannibal
    5.0 out of 5 stars Thank you
    Reviewed in Germany on December 21, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    .
    Report
  • Lucas Cavalcanti
    5.0 out of 5 stars This is the definition of a classic: retained its value despite the passage of time
    Reviewed in Brazil on July 12, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I've read it three times throughout the years, but always a Portuguese translation, and physical copy. I'm happy I found this for free so that I can have it in my Kindle library. It's always useful to have classics handy. I often catch myself wishing to review a chapter or another. A subject or the other. Great find. Awesome book. Can't wait to check out the English translation
    Report
  • Shivam Rajendra Thokal
    5.0 out of 5 stars Be The Prince!!
    Reviewed in India on March 25, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    🔥⚔⚔🛡⚔⚔🔥
    The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli is considered one of the first modern Political Treatise exploring the attainment, maintenance and utilization of political power in Europe..It is said that "The Prince" is written in such a way that not only the words used but also the place where they are used has a role to play and while translating it into english author have done justice to it's originality and maintained the brevity of Italian..The Prince expounds on why the princes of Italy lost their states..He dedicates the book to Lorenzo de' Medici, believing that it is he who can bring salvation for Italy.. Machiavelli guides the Prince using his wisdom and experience- how to govern the Principality through concepts, principles and historical examples..It elaborates on the qualities of a prince and his prudence..Book gives you an insight into the minds of a rulers and conquerors..It's one of the few political treatise I feel have withstand the challenges and test of time..Although written in 16th century some of the precepts sounds still relevant to this day..First of all talking about the criticisms, we should bare in mind the ideological gaps of the centuries, be it his opinion about Women, Fear,Hatred, or the ways of achieving the Principality..You may find some of Machiavelli's ideas immoral but if you are well aware of the phrase "all's fair in love and war" this book won't disappoint you..Don't know about Love but I can assure you about Wars ,as Castruccio Castracani said "It was the victory that brought the glory, not the methods of achieving it".. Knowing Machiavelli had a Big fish to fry we can let go few of his ill beliefs..Secondly Metaphors like Lion and Fox, amalgation of fear and love , stories of hatred and betrayal,ideas on fortune and ways to mold it and view into Renaissance period are the jewels of the book..
    "Trust should be stronger than any fortress" ,"It is better to be loved than hated" are some of the teachings which hold true in your daily life even if it's not political..Good thing about the treatise is that Machiavelli have taken into consideration every kind of principality be it Hereditary,Mixed,Civil,New or Ecclesiastical principalities .He had talked into length and depth of achieving and securing them..
    Journey of Castruccio Castracani's life in the end of the book is highly inspiring and motivational..The man who wrote his fortune and didn't blamed circumstances,who won many wars using mind more than a sword..Who proved "Time is not measured by the years that you live but by the deeds that you do"..
    I would highly recommend this book to you if you are intrested in administration,politics, wars, history,tactics and strategies..This read will surely influence the hidden ruler in you!!
    🔥 ⚔⚔🛡⚔⚔🔥
    Customer image
    Shivam Rajendra Thokal
    5.0 out of 5 stars Be The Prince!!
    Reviewed in India on March 25, 2021
    🔥⚔⚔🛡⚔⚔🔥
    The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli is considered one of the first modern Political Treatise exploring the attainment, maintenance and utilization of political power in Europe..It is said that "The Prince" is written in such a way that not only the words used but also the place where they are used has a role to play and while translating it into english author have done justice to it's originality and maintained the brevity of Italian..The Prince expounds on why the princes of Italy lost their states..He dedicates the book to Lorenzo de' Medici, believing that it is he who can bring salvation for Italy.. Machiavelli guides the Prince using his wisdom and experience- how to govern the Principality through concepts, principles and historical examples..It elaborates on the qualities of a prince and his prudence..Book gives you an insight into the minds of a rulers and conquerors..It's one of the few political treatise I feel have withstand the challenges and test of time..Although written in 16th century some of the precepts sounds still relevant to this day..First of all talking about the criticisms, we should bare in mind the ideological gaps of the centuries, be it his opinion about Women, Fear,Hatred, or the ways of achieving the Principality..You may find some of Machiavelli's ideas immoral but if you are well aware of the phrase "all's fair in love and war" this book won't disappoint you..Don't know about Love but I can assure you about Wars ,as Castruccio Castracani said "It was the victory that brought the glory, not the methods of achieving it".. Knowing Machiavelli had a Big fish to fry we can let go few of his ill beliefs..Secondly Metaphors like Lion and Fox, amalgation of fear and love , stories of hatred and betrayal,ideas on fortune and ways to mold it and view into Renaissance period are the jewels of the book..
    "Trust should be stronger than any fortress" ,"It is better to be loved than hated" are some of the teachings which hold true in your daily life even if it's not political..Good thing about the treatise is that Machiavelli have taken into consideration every kind of principality be it Hereditary,Mixed,Civil,New or Ecclesiastical principalities .He had talked into length and depth of achieving and securing them..
    Journey of Castruccio Castracani's life in the end of the book is highly inspiring and motivational..The man who wrote his fortune and didn't blamed circumstances,who won many wars using mind more than a sword..Who proved "Time is not measured by the years that you live but by the deeds that you do"..
    I would highly recommend this book to you if you are intrested in administration,politics, wars, history,tactics and strategies..This read will surely influence the hidden ruler in you!!
    🔥 ⚔⚔🛡⚔⚔🔥
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