NICOLO MACHIAVELLI, The FlorentineGiuseppi PrezzoliniBrentano ($3.50).
Machiavelli has become little more than an adjective signifying ruthless scheming duplicity. The present biography makes it quite clear that a man is behind the adjective, a true Florentine who slung mud and cobble stones in street-fights along the Arno, swapped bawdy yarns over a noggin of wine, curried favor with whatever political power there happened to be.
The Man with a curled lip, Nicolo Machiavelli, watched the puss-in-the-corner competition of petty princes, watched hired captains of mercenaries scheming to prolong their lucrative warfare, watched Ludovico...
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