14 Books like Machiavelli

EL PRÍNCIPE - Maquiavelo

by Nicolás Maquiavelo • 2023

Moral rulers get ruined. The ones who survive know exactly when to abandon virtue.

3.87

713

🌐 Political Realism 🏛️ Statecraft 🎭 Renaissance Politics ⚖️ Power Dynamics ⚔️ Military Self-Reliance

EL PRÍNCIPE - Maquiavelo 99%

Moral rulers get ruined. The ones who survive know exactly when to abandon virtue.

by Nicolás Maquiavelo 2023

3.87

713 ratings

🌐 Political Realism 🏛️ Statecraft 🎭 Renaissance Politics ⚖️ Power Dynamics ⚔️ Military Self-Reliance

The Discourses

by Niccolò Machiavelli • 1517

Rome's class conflict did not sink the republic. Machiavelli argues it is what made it great.

4.08

10k+

🏛️ Republican Theory 📜 Civic Humanism ⚖️ Mixed Constitution 🛡️ Civic Virtue 🎲 Political Agency

The Discourses 98%

Rome's class conflict did not sink the republic. Machiavelli argues it is what made it great.

by Niccolò Machiavelli 1517

4.08

10k+ ratings

🏛️ Republican Theory 📜 Civic Humanism ⚖️ Mixed Constitution 🛡️ Civic Virtue 🎲 Political Agency

The Artist, the Philosopher, and the Warrior

by Paul Strathern • 2009

Da Vinci, Machiavelli, Cesare Borgia: the moment their lives collided and the modern world began.

3.97

1k+

🎨 Italian Renaissance 🏛️ Renaissance Politics 👥 Group Biography ⚖️ Political Realism ⚔️ Military Strategy

The Artist, the Philosopher, and the Warrior Summary

The Artist, the Philosopher, and the Warrior 96%

Da Vinci, Machiavelli, Cesare Borgia: the moment their lives collided and the modern world began.

by Paul Strathern 2009

3.97

1k+ ratings

🎨 Italian Renaissance 🏛️ Renaissance Politics 👥 Group Biography ⚖️ Political Realism ⚔️ Military Strategy

How to Win an Election

by Quintus Tullius Cicero

Cicero's brother wrote the campaign playbook: flatter, promise, know your enemy's secrets.

3.78

1k+

🗳️ Political Campaigns 🔍 Opposition Research 🧠 Voter Psychology 🏛️ Classical Rhetoric 📜 Ancient Wisdom

How to Win an Election 94%

Cicero's brother wrote the campaign playbook: flatter, promise, know your enemy's secrets.

by Quintus Tullius Cicero

3.78

1k+ ratings

🗳️ Political Campaigns 🔍 Opposition Research 🧠 Voter Psychology 🏛️ Classical Rhetoric 📜 Ancient Wisdom

On Grand Strategy

by John Lewis Gaddis • 2018

Great strategists don't pick sides. They hold opposing truths in each hand and act anyway.

3.75

5k+

🗺️ Grand Strategy 🏛️ Statecraft ♟️ Strategic Thinking 📜 Leadership History ⚡ Crisis Leadership

On Grand Strategy 93%

Great strategists don't pick sides. They hold opposing truths in each hand and act anyway.

by John Lewis Gaddis 2018

3.75

5k+ ratings

🗺️ Grand Strategy 🏛️ Statecraft ♟️ Strategic Thinking 📜 Leadership History ⚡ Crisis Leadership

The Populist Delusion

by Neema Parvini • 2020

Organization inevitably creates oligarchy. Every union, party, and revolution proves it.

4.32

551

🏛️ Elite Theory 🔗 Oligarchy 🏢 Managerialism 🇮🇹 Italian Elite School ⛪ Political Theology

The Populist Delusion 93%

Organization inevitably creates oligarchy. Every union, party, and revolution proves it.

by Neema Parvini 2020

4.32

551 ratings

🏛️ Elite Theory 🔗 Oligarchy 🏢 Managerialism 🇮🇹 Italian Elite School ⛪ Political Theology

Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince

by Tim Phillips • 2008

Machiavelli's playbook, translated: why being loved is overrated, and what to do about it.

3.63

181

🏛️ Power Dynamics 📜 Classics Reinterpreted 💼 Executive Leadership 🗣️ Influence And Persuasion 🌊 Leading Through Adversity

Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince Summary

Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince 93%

Machiavelli's playbook, translated: why being loved is overrated, and what to do about it.

by Tim Phillips 2008

3.63

181 ratings

🏛️ Power Dynamics 📜 Classics Reinterpreted 💼 Executive Leadership 🗣️ Influence And Persuasion 🌊 Leading Through Adversity

The House of Medici

by Christopher Hibbert • 1975

Why Florence's uncrowned kings were bankers who built the Renaissance and survived assassination.

3.87

9k+

🏛️ Renaissance Italy 🌺 Florentine History 🏦 Banking Dynasties 👑 Family Dynasties 🎨 Patronage And Art

The House of Medici 92%

Why Florence's uncrowned kings were bankers who built the Renaissance and survived assassination.

by Christopher Hibbert 1975

3.87

9k+ ratings

🏛️ Renaissance Italy 🌺 Florentine History 🏦 Banking Dynasties 👑 Family Dynasties 🎨 Patronage And Art

The Myth of the State

by Ernst Cassirer • 1946

The Greeks fought myth with reason. The modern state perfected it as a weapon.

3.90

209

🏛️ Political Philosophy 📜 History Of Ideas ⛓️ Totalitarianism 🏰 State And Sovereignty 🎭 Myth And Politics

The Myth of the State 92%

The Greeks fought myth with reason. The modern state perfected it as a weapon.

by Ernst Cassirer 1946

3.90

209 ratings

🏛️ Political Philosophy 📜 History Of Ideas ⛓️ Totalitarianism 🏰 State And Sovereignty 🎭 Myth And Politics

Realpolitik

by John Bew • 2015

Realpolitik was a liberal reformer's idea before Bismarck hijacked it. What was lost.

3.94

161

🏛️ Political Realism 📚 Intellectual History ♟️ Statecraft And Strategy 🌍 Geopolitical Thought 🇩🇪 German Political Thought

Realpolitik 92%

Realpolitik was a liberal reformer's idea before Bismarck hijacked it. What was lost.

by John Bew 2015

3.94

161 ratings

🏛️ Political Realism 📚 Intellectual History ♟️ Statecraft And Strategy 🌍 Geopolitical Thought 🇩🇪 German Political Thought

Rules for Radicals

by Saul D. Alinsky • 1971

A tactical handbook for the powerless: how ridicule, pressure, and their own rules become weapons.

3.73

9k+

🏘️ Community Organizing 🌱 Grassroots Activism ♟️ Political Tactics ⚖️ Power Dynamics 📋 Activist Handbook

Rules for Radicals 92%

A tactical handbook for the powerless: how ridicule, pressure, and their own rules become weapons.

by Saul D. Alinsky 1971

3.73

9k+ ratings

🏘️ Community Organizing 🌱 Grassroots Activism ♟️ Political Tactics ⚖️ Power Dynamics 📋 Activist Handbook

The Next Decade

by George Friedman • 2011

America stumbled into empire. Holding it requires a playbook its founders would have despised.

3.84

2k+

🗺️ Grand Strategy 🇺🇸 American Foreign Policy 🔮 Geopolitical Forecasting 🎭 Machiavellian Statecraft ⚖️ Balance Of Power

The Next Decade 92%

America stumbled into empire. Holding it requires a playbook its founders would have despised.

by George Friedman 2011

3.84

2k+ ratings

🗺️ Grand Strategy 🇺🇸 American Foreign Policy 🔮 Geopolitical Forecasting 🎭 Machiavellian Statecraft ⚖️ Balance Of Power

The Lost History of Liberalism

by Helena Rosenblatt • 2018

Liberalism was born as duty and generosity. The individual-rights version is only seventy years old.

4.04

448

🏛️ Intellectual History 📜 Political Theory 🫂 Civic Virtue 🗽 Liberal Tradition 🏟️ Civic Republicanism

The Lost History of Liberalism 92%

Liberalism was born as duty and generosity. The individual-rights version is only seventy years old.

by Helena Rosenblatt 2018

4.04

448 ratings

🏛️ Intellectual History 📜 Political Theory 🫂 Civic Virtue 🗽 Liberal Tradition 🏟️ Civic Republicanism

Diplomacy

by Henry Kissinger • 1994

Europe balanced power; America chases ideals. Three centuries of diplomatic collision.

4.25

10k+

🏛️ International Relations 📜 Diplomatic History 🌍 Geopolitics ⚖️ Balance Of Power 🇺🇸 American Foreign Policy

Diplomacy 91%

Europe balanced power; America chases ideals. Three centuries of diplomatic collision.

by Henry Kissinger 1994

4.25

10k+ ratings

🏛️ International Relations 📜 Diplomatic History 🌍 Geopolitics ⚖️ Balance Of Power 🇺🇸 American Foreign Policy

Compare Features	Free	Pro
📖 Read Summaries Read unlimited summaries. Free users get 3 per month
🎧 Listen to Summaries Listen to unlimited summaries in 40 languages	—
❤️ Unlimited Bookmarks Free users are limited to 4	—
📜 Unlimited History Free users are limited to 4	—
📥 Unlimited Downloads Free users are limited to 1	—

People love SoBrief

Join our global community of 600,000+ readers

★★★★★

This site is a total game-changer. I've been flying through book summaries like never before. Highly, highly recommend.

— Dave G

Worth my money and time, and really well made. I've never seen this quality of summaries on other websites. Very helpful!

— Em

Highly recommended!! Fantastic service. Perfect for those that want a little more than a teaser but not all the intricate details of a full audio book.

— Greg M