Machiavelli in Hell

Rating:
Summary: Intellectually stimulating and thought provoking
Review: A big, definitive book. This one isn't what you would call a "page turner." There's plenty to absorb on every page. More than a mere biography, it's more about Machiavelli's thought process and writings concerning politics and morality. Secondarily, the details of Niccolò's life are sprinkled semi-chronologically throughout the book.Each chapter looks at a different aspect of Niccolò's thinking. You don't need to do much thinking of your own as you read this. De Grazia has written out every thought that could be thought about Machiavelli's writings and philosophy. He sometimes parses indivitual sentences down to minute details to wring from them every possible shade of meaning Machiavelli could have intended. Such an exhaustive examination can make for a less-than-compelling read.Each chapter builds on the previous ones, as de Grazia moves toward an unified and succinct view of Machiavelli's philosophy, which is: The end really does justify the means, as long as that end is the glory of God and Country (mostly Country).Reading such a big, thoroughgoing book can be a chore. It took me three attempts to get through it. The successful attempt took eight months. If you ever wished for a single, definitive book on the life, writings and philosophy of Machiavelli, this is it. But be careful what you wish for . . . .

Rating:
Summary: Finally a decent book on Nicolo
Review: I give this book an easy 5 stars. This is much less intimidating than many of Nicolo's own writings... De Grazia is interested in his subject, fun, and ultimately very sympathetic to Machiavelli. The book shows how Machiavelli was a poet, a lover, a (really good!) comic playwright, and a champion of democracy, in addition to being one of the founding fathers of political science. I've read the majority of Nicolo's surviving work, often in the Italian, and De Grazia truly portrays him as he was... a courtier after Castiglione's model who (even after his death) suffered more than his share of the "unremitting malice of fortune." READ IT!!!

Rating:
Summary: Finally a decent book on Nicolo
Review: I give this book an easy 5 stars. This is much less intimidating than many of Nicolo's own writings... De Grazia is interested in his subject, fun, and ultimately very sympathetic to Machiavelli. The book shows how Machiavelli was a poet, a lover, a (really good!) comic playwright, and a champion of democracy, in addition to being one of the founding fathers of political science. I've read the majority of Nicolo's surviving work, often in the Italian, and De Grazia truly portrays him as he was... a courtier after Castiglione's model who (even after his death) suffered more than his share of the "unremitting malice of fortune." READ IT!!!

Rating:
Summary: Niccolo and His Philosophy
Review: Let me say first that I did not find this book difficult to read or comprehend, as some reviewers have implied it might be. It was, and is, a scholarly work, but Grazia makes the material lively, interesting, and above all understandable. Each thread in the tapestry that he weaves around the life and philosophy of Niccolo (as he calls him throughout the entire work) is discussed separately but folded back into the whole at regular intervals.

Grazia introduces us to Niccolo Machiavegli (Machiavelli in the Tuscan style) in Chapter 1, a figure often reviled in later ages. From Chapter 2 onward we are treated to an analysis of his works, political, social, and dramatic in the context of an overarching political philosophy. What I found most interesting about Machiavelli In Hell is the interleaving of Niccolo's life with this analysis. He becomes a person rather than the one-dimensional cutout we are often given in school texts - a man of feeling, ideals, and intelligence. With some persistence and careful reading you can it make through this book with a greater understanding of what Niccolo gave to later generations, or even his own. It is not a substitute for The Prince, The Art of War, or the Mandragola but an introduction.

Rating:
Summary: Intellectually stimulating and thought provoking
Review: To those of you looking for an easy read on Machiavelli, I recommend going somewhere else. This book isn't going to skimp on the scholarly side just to make it easier to read for others. This is an intelligent book for an intelligent reader. Grazia intricately weaves together the mindset of Machiavelli as we see him through his many works and letters to friends.

At first I was a little disappointed, perhaps because I was looking more for the momentous doings of Machiavelli. Yet, as I worked through the sheer volume of this biography (not by number of pages, yet rather by the number of words per page) I began to grow and respect Grazia as I slowly began to realize who Machiavelli is and how his thoughts and ideas of influenced so many. His thoughts are his astounding accomplishments and those we certainly see here.

For those interested in reading an intellectual book, definitely read this one. Machiavelli always believed that a person becomes a learned person through reading. For someone who agrees with this mindset I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone that has intelligence enough to want to learn rather than those readers who simply are looking for an easy read.