100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

Overnight NZ-wide Delivery 🚀 Thank you for supporting our 100% NZ-owned store ❤️

The Prince

3.84 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 374,802 ratings, 15,448 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli is a political treatise offering advice to new princes and rulers on how to maintain power and control over their states. The book explores themes of power, leadership, and statecraft, highlighting the often harsh and pragmatic decisions necessary for ruling effectively.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK Please add to wishlist to be notified when back in stock

Sorry, we're currently out of stock of The Prince. Please add to your Wishlist and we'll send you an email as soon as it's back in stock.

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're interested in political theory, human behaviour, and power dynamics. Its insightful perspective on leadership and statecraft provides timeless lessons applicable to both historical and contemporary contexts.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Today The Prince is still seen as the Bible of realpolitik, read by strategists, businessmen and political animals everywhere as the ultimate guide to gaining and maintaining power in a dangerous world.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli is a seminal treatise on political philosophy and realpolitik, written in the early 16th century. The book delves into the nature of power, leadership, and governance, offering guidance on how rulers can maintain control over their states and subjects. Machiavelli, drawing on historical examples and his own experiences, provides a candid and sometimes brutal analysis of the political landscape, exploring strategies for dealing with adversaries, garnering support, and navigating the complex web of human relationships and societal structures—all in the pursuit of stable and effective rule.

Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war, and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked, and comforted. They have enriched lives and destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals, and visionaries whose ideas shook civilisation and helped make us who we are.

The Prince stands out as one of these influential works, renowned for its unflinching honesty and pragmatic approach. Machiavelli’s insights into power dynamics and statecraft have made it a cornerstone of political theory and a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the intricacies of leadership and governance. Its enduring relevance continues to provoke thought and discussion, making it a timeless addition to any reader's collection.

Series: Penguin Great Ideas

View all
  • The Myth of Sisyphus
    In The Myth of Sisyphus, Albert Camus delves deeply into the human condition, orienting his philosophical exploration around the timeless myth of Sisyphus, a man condemned by the gods to roll a boulder up a mountain only to watch it roll back down, endlessly repeating this futile task. Through this allegory, Camus examines the absurd nature of human existence, highlighting...
    Paperback
    $1700
    Elsewhere:
    $1999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • On the Shortness of Life
    Seneca’s On the Shortness of Life is a classical masterpiece that delves into the age-old human concern of time and mortality. Written as letters and discourses to his friend Paulinus, Seneca reflects on how people squander their time in the pursuits of ambition, trivial pleasures, and material gains. Through eloquent and impassioned prose, Seneca urges us to embrace a more...
    By Seneca
    Paperback
    $1999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Fear and Trembling
    Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves—and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war, and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked, and comforted. They have enriched lives—and destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals, and visionaries whose ideas shook civilisation and helped make...
    Paperback
    $1999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • How To Be a Stoic
    Don't hope that events will turn out the way you want, welcome events in whichever way they happen. How can we cope when life's events seem beyond our control? These words of consolation and inspiration from the three great Stoic philosophers—Epictetus, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius—offer ancient wisdom on how to face life's adversities and live well in the world. GREAT...
    Paperback
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $1999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • God is Dead. God Remains Dead. And We Have Killed Him.
    In God is Dead. God Remains Dead. And We Have Killed Him., renowned philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche explores profound and controversial themes central to the existential movement. The work is a searing critique of religion, morality, and the profound shift in human consciousness that ensues with the death of God. Nietzsche posits a world where traditional beliefs are no longer tenable,...
    Paperback
    $2100
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Meditations
    Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war, and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked, and comforted. They have enriched lives and destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals, and visionaries whose ideas shook civilisation, and...
    Paperback
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $1999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • What Is Existentialism?
    What Is Existentialism? by Simone de Beauvoir provides a profound exploration into the philosophical realm of existentialism, encouraging readers to examine the nature of existence and human freedom. Through meticulous essays and thought-provoking discourse, de Beauvoir delves into the intricacies of how we perceive and interact with the world. The book challenges readers to consider the inherent meaninglessness of life...
    Paperback
    $1999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Being Happy
    Being Happy by Epicurus is a timeless collection that delves into the profound teachings of one of the most influential philosophers of antiquity. Epicurus, the father of Epicureanism, presents his thoughts on the nature of happiness, the methods to achieve it, and the role of philosophy as a therapeutic tool. Through his exploration of these themes, Epicurus highlights the importance...
    Paperback
    $1999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Tao Te Ching
    Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu is a profound and timeless work that has been revered for centuries as one of the foundational texts of Chinese philosophy and religion. This ancient wisdom, beautifully simple yet deeply profound, provides a guide for living a virtuous life. Through its 81 enigmatic verses, Lao Tzu offers insights into the nature of existence, the...
    By Lao Tzu
    Paperback
    $1999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Symposium
    Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives and destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilisation and...
    By Plato
    Paperback
    $1999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Freedom to Be Free
    The Freedom to Be Free by Hannah Arendt is a compelling compilation of three thought-provoking essays. The book delves deep into the essence of freedom and its intrinsic connection to politics. Arendt, one of the most influential political philosophers of the twentieth century, presents a stirring argument that true freedom can only be achieved within the realm of political life,...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Three Japanese Buddhist Monks
    I have relinquished all that ties me to the world, but the one thing that still haunts me is the beauty of the sky. These simple, inspiring writings by three medieval Buddhist monks offer peace and wisdom amid the world's uncertainties, and are an invitation to relinquish earthly desires and instead taste life in the moment. GREAT IDEAS. Throughout history,...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli is often praised for its insightful and pragmatic approach to political power and statecraft. Critics highlight its timeless relevance and provocative ideas on leadership and morality, though some find its ruthless recommendations controversial. Readers appreciate its historical significance and concise, straightforward prose.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780141018850

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 02 September 2004

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd

Contributors:

  • Introduction by Anthony Grafton

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 8.0mm

Width: 111.0mm

Height: 180.0mm

Weight: 81g

Pages: 128

About the Author

Niccol Machiavelli (1469-1527) was appointed secretary and Second Chancellor to the Florentine Republic in 1498. He was dismissed from his post in 1512 and forced to withdraw from public life, after which time he wrote THE PRINCE, a handbook for rulers.

Also by Niccolo Machiavelli

View all
  • The Prince
    As a diplomat in the turbulent landscape of fifteenth-century Florence, Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527) was acutely aware of how rapidly political fortunes could shift. Leveraging this deep understanding, The Prince serves as a pragmatic and tough-minded handbook on the mechanisms of power. This seminal work explores the complexities of leadership and political manoeuvring, grappling with essential questions: How does a leader...
    Paperback
    $1600
    Elsewhere:
    $1799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Prince: Popular Penguins
    As a diplomat in turbulent fifteenth-century Florence, Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527) was deeply familiar with the swift and often ruthless changes in political power. In The Prince, Machiavelli presents a pragmatic and unflinching analysis of the mechanics of power, leadership, and statecraft. Written in 1513, this seminal work remains a cornerstone of political theory and an essential read for anyone interested...
    Paperback
    $1599
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Prince
    Pocket Hardbacks - the new non-fiction series that combines the collectability of Clothbound Classics with the popular spirit of Great Ideas. The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli is the Bible of realpolitik, a tough-minded, pragmatic handbook on how power really works, and how to hold on to it in a dangerous world. How can a leader be strong? Is it better...
    Hardback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Prince
    The Prince, authored by the Italian Renaissance political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli, delves into the intricacies of political power, leadership, and the pragmatic demands of statecraft. This seminal work, written in 1513, offers a candid and sometimes unsettling examination of the strategies necessary for a ruler to maintain authority and ensure the stability of their dominion. Unlike idealistic treatises that preceded...
    Paperback
    $3000
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • The Discourses
    Few figures in intellectual history have proved as notorious and ambiguous as Niccolo Machiavelli. For while his treatise The Prince made his name synonymous with autocratic ruthlessness and cynical manipulation, The Discourses (c.1517) shows a radically different outlook on the world of politics. In this carefully argued commentary on Livy's history of republican Rome, Machiavelli proposes a system of government...
    Paperback
    $2999
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Prince: The Original Classic
    THE HANDBOOK FOR LEADERS The Prince is often regarded as the first true leadership book. It shocked contemporary readers with its ruthless call for fearless and effective action. With simple prose and straightforward logic, Machiavelli's guide still has the power to surprise and inform anyone hoping to make their way in the world. This keepsake edition includes an introduction by...
    Hardback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $2899
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • The Prince (Barnes & Noble Collectible Editions)
    The Prince is famously encapsulated in the phrase, "It is safer to be feared than loved." This sentiment captures the essence of Niccolo Machiavelli's seminal work in political philosophy. In this classic text, Machiavelli offers guidance on how rulers should acquire and ruthlessly exercise power, a concept that remains pertinent to readers even over five centuries after its initial publication....
    Paperback
    $1999
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Quotable Machiavelli
    A collection of insightful and revealing quotations on a wide range of subjects from the father of modern politics Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527) is the father of modern political thought, but he is also one of the greatest writers of the Renaissance, and his wisdom and style extend far beyond politics to encompass a compelling philosophy of life as well. In...
    Paperback
    $3499
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Prince (Hero Classics)
    Part of the Hero Classics series "Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are." The Prince is generally labeled as a cynical and overly pragmatic account of gaining and retaining political power. It is a significant deviation from the righteous meditations of Plato and Aristotle, which emphasise the goodness of human nature. Living in a...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Art of War
    Niccolò Machiavelli's Art of War is one of the world's great classics of military and political theory. Praised by the finest military minds in history and said to have influenced no lesser lights than Frederick the Great and Napoleon, the Art of War is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the history and theory of war in the...
    Paperback
    $3599
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • Art of War
    Niccolò Machiavelli's Art of War is one of the world's great classics of military and political theory. Praised by the finest military minds in history and said to have influenced no lesser lights than Frederick the Great and Napoleon, the Art of War is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the history and theory of war in the...
    Hardback
    $7299
    Available
    Ships in 3-4 weeks
  • The Prince
    At the end of an industrious political career in conflict-riven Italy, the Florentine diplomat Niccolò Machiavelli composed his masterpiece, The Prince, a classic study of power and politics, and a manual of ruthlessness for any ambitious ruler. Controversial in his own time, The Prince made Machiavelli’s name a byword for manipulative scheming, and had an impact on such major figures...
    Paperback
    $1699
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

More from Politics & Current Affairs

View all
  • One Last Question, Prime Minister
    From Muldoon to Luxon, untold stories from the House of Parliament Barry Soper has spent close to five decades questioning New Zealand's prime ministers.From the imposing, larger-than-life characters of Rob Muldoon and David Lange, to the golden age of Helen Clark and John Key, and the post-Covid era of Jacinda Ardern and the 'Chrises', Soper's insight and nose for a...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (6)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    Regime Change
    From the two reporters who have covered him more closely than perhaps anyone else over the past decade comes this definitive portrait of Donald Trump in the White House and the first year of his second presidency. Based on hundreds of interviews and unprecedented reporting from deep within the administration’s most closely guarded rooms, Regime Change takes the reader into...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $4299
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    A Different Kind of Power
    #1 New Zealand bestseller #1 Amazon bestseller #2 Audible bestseller #3 New York Times bestseller #3 Sunday Times bestseller #4 Australian bestseller From the former prime minister of New Zealand, then the world’s youngest female head of government and just the second to give birth in office, comes a deeply personal memoir chronicling her extraordinary rise and offering inspiration to...
    Paperback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • A Different Kind of Power
    Ockham Winner
    A Different Kind of Power
    What if we could redefine leadership? What if kindness came first? Jacinda Ardern grew up the daughter of a police officer in small-town New Zealand, but as the 40th Prime Minister of her country, she commanded global respect for her empathetic leadership that put people first. This is the remarkable story of how a Mormon girl plagued by self-doubt made...
    Hardback
    $4799
    Elsewhere:
    $5999
    (7)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    Suicidal Empathy
    The bestselling author of The Parasitic Mind shows why empathy in politics leads to civilizational collapse. What happens when a society elevates victimhood to a virtue and decides that punishment is cruel? You get the disease Dr. Gad Saad calls suicidal empathy. And the West may be terminally infected. In his new book, Suicidal Empathy, Saad unleashes a blistering critique...
    Paperback
    $3099
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Signed Copy
    Go Hard or Go Home
    From the front bench to rock bottom: Go Hard or Go Home is Kiri Allan's fearless memoir of ambition, disruption and survival in NZ politics and beyond. Kiri Allan's six-year political career spanned some of the most challenging times in recent history. Events a government might encounter once in a generation stacked up: a terrorist attack, a volcanic eruption, destructive and deadly...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    Pre-order
    Out 4 Aug 2026
  • New Release
    The Day After: How to Wield Power in a Post-Trump World
    From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Shameless, Brian Tyler Cohen explores how Republicans have abused power, how Democrats have refused to exercise power when they held it, and how progressives should wield power if they are fortunate enough to win a free and fair election in a post-Trump world. The Day After: How to Wield Power in...
    Paperback
    $3099
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Careless People
    Shocking and darkly funny, Careless People gives you a front-row seat to the decisions that are shaping our world and the people who make them. Welcome to Facebook. Sarah Wynn-Williams, a young diplomat from New Zealand, pitched for her dream job. She saw Facebook's potential and knew it could change the world for the better. But, when she got there...
    Paperback
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Shattered Lands
    'A sparkling debut by an outstanding young historian' – PETER FRANKOPAN 'This book is a revelation … both original and important' – MISHAL HUSAIN A history of modern South Asia told through five partitions that reshaped it. As recently as 1928, a vast swathe of Asia – India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, Bhutan, Yemen, Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and...
    Paperback
    $3699
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Discipline
    Silence is complicity, but how do we confront the cost of speaking up? Sydney, May 2021. Ashraf is an academic whose career and personal life are in freefall. Hannah is a young journalist struggling to honour the voices of her community. When a Year 12 Al-Bayinnah College student is arrested for protesting a university's ties to an Israeli weapons manufacturer,...
    Paperback
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Handmaid's Tale
    The bestselling dystopian classic that became a cultural phenomenon and inspired an award-winning TV series. THE SUNDAY TIMES NO. 1 BESTSELLER Go back to where it all began with the dystopian novel behind the award-winning TV series. 'As relevant today as it was when Atwood wrote it.' Guardian I believe in the resistance as I believe there can be no...
    Paperback
    $2000
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This
    'A howl from the heart of our age' — Richard Flanagan 'A unique and urgently needed book.' — Naomi Klein 'A powerful, uncomfortable but thought-provoking read.' — Dua Lipa 'Clear, elegant and devastatingly truthful... Read this shatteringly honest book.' — Max Porter From award-winning novelist and journalist Omar El Akkad, an urgent and necessary reckoning with what it means to...
    Paperback
    $3100
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships today

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.