The Prince by Niccolō Machiavelli

Niccolō Machiavelli
The Prince
Paperback, 2003
144 pages
Penguin Classics
Used condition (back cover removed, some minor back page stains)

A 16th-century political treatise and pragmatic guide on how rulers gain, maintain, and expand power. Rather than offering moralistic ideals, Machiavelli argues that a successful leader must be realistic, adaptable to circumstance, and willing to use cunning, deceit, and ruthlessness to achieve stability.