Book Description
Niccolo Machiavelli, one of the eminent minds of the
Italian Renaissance, spent much of a long and active lifetime
trying to determine and understand what exceptional qualities
of human character--and what surrounding elements of fortune,
luck, and timing--made great men great leaders successful in
war and peace.
In perhaps the liveliest book on Machiavelli in years,
Michael A. Ledeen measures contemporary movers and doers
against the timeless standards established by the great
Renaissance writer. Titans of statecraft (Margaret Thatcher,
Franois Mitterrand, Pope John Paul II, Ronald Reagan, and
Bill Clinton); business and finance (Bill Gates); Wall Street
and investing (Warren Buffet); the military (Colin Powell),
and sports (Michael Jordan) are judged by Machiavelli's
precepts on leadership and the proper use of power. The
result is a wide-ranging and scintillating study that
illuminates the thoughts of the Renaissance master and the
actions of today's truly towering figures as well as the
character-challenged pretenders to greatness. Here is an
exceptional book on Machiavelli and his ultra-realistic
exploration of human nature--then and now.