The New Machiavelli: How to Wield Power in the Modern World

by Jonathan Powell

Illustrating each of Machiavelli’s maxims with a description of events that occurred during Tony Blair's time as prime minister, Blair's former close adviser gives a devastating, frank, and insightful analysis of how power is wielded in the modern world In a 21st-century reworking of Niccolò Machiavelli's influential masterpiece, Jonathan Powell argues that the Italian philosopher is misunderstood, and explains how the lessons derived from his experience as an official in 15th-century Florence can still apply today. Drawing on his own unpublished diaries during his time as Blair's chief of staff, Powell gives a frank account of the intimate details of the internal political struggles, including the failure to join the Euro or hold a referendum on the European constitution; the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo; the peace negotiations in Northern Ireland; and the relations with Clinton, Bush, and Chirac. Short, stark, and clear—much like The Prince —this gripping account of life inside "the bunker" of Number 10 draws lessons from those experiences, not just for political leaders but for anyone who has access to the levers of power.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Leadership, History, Biography, Personal Development, Political Science

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Nouf · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book gave me an insight into British politics and the work of the government. The first thing that I liked about this book is Powell's argument on Machiavelli's writing, that he is not an icon for duplicity as what people used to believe but a person who spoke about the 'art of government' mainly the practicality of government and governing especially in his book "The Prince". Machiavelli's concern according to Powell is 'what government is' and not 'what government should be', which is something that I really find important to understand especially if someone needs to understand what is really going on in the world of politics.

The question however is that was Powell able to some degree to manage to explain for us what government is? Because the author is still a politician not a scholar of political science or public policy.
I think that fitting Machiavelli in his autobiography was good but the problem is that the author was explaining Machiavelli reasons most of the time , not himself or his boss Tony Blair.

As whenever he puts a reason for Tony Blair work or perspective on a political issue I found him citing Machiavelli's words! It is true that the author wanted from the beginning to talk about "what is happening" instead of " what should be " in government and governing, but I don't think that he was very successful. Because he was not clear as Machiavelli is, instead I found drawing a pinkish image of Tony Blair and to end his book with the word that Blair is misunderstood.

The author also put the issue of public policy and politics in number 10 as something between Blair and Gordon only that policy implementation struggle (according to the reader's understanding)is between politicians not between the public and the government which is true!

[Igor Guzun · Rating 5 out of 5]

O carte fantastică. Nu ca gen, ci în sensul de extraordinară. Și este bună nu pentru că autorul ei, șef al staffului premierului britanic Tony Blair timp de 10 ani, a fost în aceste zile la Chișinău, unde a spus că orice problemă are soluții. Ceea ce poate fi în primul rând util din această carte pentru tineri este descrierea calităților unui lider. „Spre deosebire de înțelepciune, care poate fi dobândită prin experiență, aceste calități, curajul și inteligența, nu pot fi învățate. Un lider trebuie să se nască cu ele”, scrie Jonathan Powell, ca să explice apoi următoarele…

„În politică, faptul de a avea curaj se dovedește mai ales prin abilitatea de a lua decizii complexe și prin dorința de a-ți asuma riscuri atunci când nu poți fi sigur de rezultat”. „Desigur, curajul orbesc nu este suficient. Viclenia este și ea necesară…”, iar în afară de abilitatea de a lua decizii dificile, un lider de succes trebuie să se fi născut cu instincte politice bune. „Unii lideri aleg tonul perfect, iar alții sunt complet afoni. Unii pot analiza starea publicului și reușesc să o ghideze. Alții pur și simplu nu pot”, afirmă Powell. Iar eu nu pot să nu mai dau încă un citat: „Deși esențiale, aceste calități înnăscute, curajul și instinctul politic, nu sunt suficiente pentru un mare lider. Liderii trebuie să dobândească alte cinci calități: competență, capacitate de comunicare, charismă, perspectivă și șarm”.

[Jan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Abysmally awful. A complete waste of time to struggle through this jumbled mess of gossip, self-rigtheousness and the endless baaad writing. The sad thing is, that the basic idea is most complling (Machiavelli as a filter through to which view Blair's 10 years at number 10). And the author in principle must have been ideally placed (as the PM's Chief of Staff) to observe, learn and extract, but ye gods how he fumbles the assignment.

Maybe the author could recover his credibility in a 2nd (substantially revised and updated edition) if submitting to a stern editor, but then please let out the Gordon Brown bashing, which is repetitive, predictable and - also- boring.

[Henry OS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite pretentious - just a series of anecdotes organised by theme of government and then loosely tied to an excerpt from “The Prince”, reminds me of the sort of thesis my tutors wouldn’t let me write at uni

[Jonathan Downing · Rating 4 out of 5]

The back cover says it's a fabulously indiscreet memoir. And it is. And it succeeds more on that level than as a treatise on modern government, but it has its share of insights on that front too. I'd say the first two thirds are more successful than the final act, but a really engaging read nonetheless.

[YaBoyEA · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had so much potential but it’s just Blairite slop

[Thom Beckett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although there is a lot about Machiavelli in this book, and there's some interesting advice on running a government tied back to the Florentine thinker, in fact this book is far more interesting as an insight into the workings of the Blair government.

To be fair to Powell, he points up a fair number of failures in Blair's decisions (and, by extension, his and the other members of the team). However, mostly this is an in depth hatchet-job on Gordon Brown and his followers. Now this might be well aimed and entirely fair - I don't really know enough about the subject to judge - there are certainly a number of anecdotes that, if true, make Brown sound not only flawed, but actually mentally ill.

Taken for what it is, an entirely biased (and admittedly so) insight into the Blair years it's a fascinating document. Little is made of what seems, at least now, to be the defining decision of the Blair years, however - following Bush into Iraq. It's not glossed over entirely, and Powell makes some sort of case as to why Blair made the decision that he did, but the arguments put forward are less than persuasive and if explored in detail actually amount to a pretty damning inditement of Blair's decision (although Powell clearly doesn't intend them that way). Indeed, when it comes to Iraq, perhaps Brown's indecisiveness and contentment in not being liked could well have saved a lot of blood and treasure.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an enjoyable, gossipy read, but it is holed below the waterline by its abysmally partisan nature. It makes plenty of fair points about Gordon Brown - who sounds like a nightmare to work with. But while Powell is ready to put the knife into Brown, Ed Balls and Ed Miliband - two of the people attempting to lead the Labour Party back to power - he is less ready to make anything but the mildest criticisms of George Bush and the neo-cons. Alistair Campbell's resignation from Downing St is described as a tragedy - not so the Iraq war itself, in which hundreds of thousands died.

[Olivier Schmidt · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting account of the Blair years in the UK with great insights in Blair’s interactions with other international leaders in the last chapters on Europe and foreign policy. Unfortunately, most of the early chapters would be aptly summarized by the alternative title: “why Machiavelli would think Gordon Brown is a dick”. Still a good recommendation for those interested in New Labour and British politics.

[Sorin Hadârcă · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for politicians and civil servants alike. It must be noted that Powell is obviously 'in love' with his PM and to the detriment of Gordon Brown, his successor. All in one, even if you are not into the British politics it is an eye opener in many ways.

[Ian Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining, revealing, imaginative (in making the link to The Prince), yet sad. In some ways reveals more of Gordon Brown's nature than Tony Blair's, with an almost pathological desire to destroy his character and reputation. Compelling read, but where does the truth lie?

[Malika Abdrakhmanova · Rating 1 out of 5]

Extremely hard to read, the objective of the book contradicts to what is written by the author. The only two things covered in the book: 1. Excuses for Tony Blairs administration and 2. the blame on Gordon Brown. Would not recommend it to anyone.

[Dumitru Ciorici · Rating 5 out of 5]

Foarte bună carte pentru cei care doresc să pătrundă în tainele gestionării puterii și arta compromisului în politică.

[Hasan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twenty years ago I was up watching Michael Portilo, the darling of the Thatcherites who had lost his seat to an unknown Labour candidate, which basically was the icing on the cake to demonstrate how in May 1997, New Labour triumphed at the polls and had ushered in an era many expected to be of hope and change under the Premiership of Tony Blair.

"The New Machiavelli" in my eyes the best insider's account of the Blair years, a period of politics I have been obsessed by as it took place during a period which had helped shaped my interest in politics and media. Also, because I like many young people had resonated with New Labour as a vehicle of change and had watched Tony Blair say to the world "a new dawn has broken, has it not?" The rest, as they say is history.

This book is a gripping account of life inside 'the bunker' of number 10 through the eyes of Jonathan Powell, Tony Blair's former Chief of Staff from 1994-2007. Why "the New Machiavelli" in my eyes was the best account of the New Labour years is because Powell reworked Niccolo Machiavelli's "the Prince" which was the influential 15th century classic manuscript of government and how government should be run. Taking lessons from Machiavelli who was an official in fifteenth century Florence, Powell uses the works to describe the events that occured during the leadership of Tony Blair with the intention of using "The New Machiavelli" to be "the Prince" for a modern day government.

Powell unlike Alistair Campbell, Peter Mandelson, Anji Hunter, Ed Balls and others managed to stay under the radar during the volatile battles between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and throughout the book his words echoes as someone who was partisan towards Tony Blair. Powell does highlight a few number of failures of Blair's decisions such as the lack of reform in certain areas, the outbreak of foot-and-mouth, the rolling out of the Freedom of Information Act, the hunting ban and not being progressive on Europe, also it was written in 2010, so the political aftermath of the Blair years is somewhat limited. However, Powell does use the book to throw the gauntlet on Gordon Brown as someone who sounds not only flawed, but actually was mentally ill to be a robust leader but was a man who for ten years acted as the Dauphin who just wanted to be leader, rather than serve his own leader. Powell throughout the book is devastating towards the neighbour from hell: how Brown would demand a standing down date for Blair to stand down, how Brown would blame Blair for David Cameron's rise, demand that he "stop" journalists writing bad things about him. Powell does in a subtle way blame his former boss for not sacking Gordon Brown when he had the chance in 2001 or even call Brown's bluff each time he was challenged, but stops short of stating why Blair had failed to act. I would believe that Tomy Blair's handling of Gordon Brown had shown how he lacked the one ruthless streak of asserting one's influence.

Quite often Machiavelli is connected with duplicity, intrigue and backhand politics, however Powell brilliantly argues through Machiavelli's writing, that he is not an icon for duplicity as what people used to believe but a person who spoke about the 'art of government' of 'what government is' and not 'what government should be.' Yet, I do feel Powell does focus more on securing the reputation of Machiavelli and of Tony Blair.

Powell does not go into detail about Iraq, but attempts to vindicate Blair by saying he pursued some private influence over the US President George W Bush with the supposed success was in getting the Americans to make war through the UN route, and how the road to Baghdad was a route towards peace in Palestine. And as history showed, both situations were a facade and Iraq was a disaster. Again another Tony Blair supporter did try to absolve their leader on this one issue which hung over the successes of New Labour under Tony Blair.

This book also sheds light on the operation of power and the use of power. Powell narrates how within the British political system the difficulties of getting a grip on the civil service, and on the peculiarities of prime ministerial power which can change depending on the Prime Minister of the day as Powell challenged the narrative of the so called 'sofa cabinet' of Tony Blair by showing that the civil service was somewhat archaic and a vehicle of obstruction rather than progression.

I think that all budding statesmen/women, political junkies and strategists should study on the merits of government, but "the New Machiavelli" is also an account of an integral figure who was privy to some major decisions during the Blair years.

[Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This memoir (for, despite its attempts at intellectual complexity, that is precisely what it is) covers the whole of the Blair period, and is a good reminder of the range of the political problems faced by Blair. That some of these seem minor in retrospect (cash-for-peerages, anyone?) is probably more to do with the political times we find ourselves in now. It is readable, has a few interesting anecdotes, and a few points that challenge the accepted wisdom very effectively (I'm thinking especially of some of the bits about working with the civil service). The eviseration of Gordon Brown is interesting and highlights the level of destructiveness in the relationship between Brown and Blair, which I had dimly understood at the time but never quite grasped. It is also quite an interesting reintroduction to Machiavelli himself, and at least succeeds in its suggestion that some of the lessons in The Prince are applicable now, although personally I don't consider that much of a surprise (the works of Sun Tzu and Cicero are still relevant too, as, really, is any book which discusses themes of a general nature).

What stops it from getting four stars is that Powell himself can be quite ridiculously annoying. It's already strange enough that he refers to his brother, who famously worked under Thatcher (although he can't help his relations, one might think that, in a democracy, it would be statistically improbable for so many of our ruling class to be related to each other) but then one adds in the self assured smug city posh boy approach that much of New Labour was so irritating for. Powell at one point favours a suggestion for stopping hunting with hounds which would see the dogs electrocuted unconcious when they get near a fox (dogs, after all, being famously stupid and unable to associate cause and effect in training), and a criticism of Viscount Cranborne that 'there were centuries of treachery in his blood' sends one scurrying to Wikipedia before it becomes clear that Powell knows the bloodline of the Cecil family but doesn't want to let us lower class povos in on the joke.

The writing style also grates after a while. As a part of the attempt to show that this isn't the type of kiss and tell memoir that it was clearly sold to publishers as, Powell repeatedly refers back to Machiavelli (which is fine), but does so in the same sentence structure every time (which is not). By the end of the book, you will be heartily sick of the words 'a prudent Prime Minister', irrespective of the wisdom such words presage.

Finally, and unforgivably, on the major decision of the Blair government, the Iraq war, Powell is practically silent. There is a bland support for Blair's approach, but there then follows simply a complaint that others don't understand and that inquiries which have criticised missteps are looking at details. When the Butler report is (at page 224) described as complaining that 'the caveats in the [JIC] reporting had not been repeated word for word in the published dossier', the incredulity felt by the reader must be huge. There is no reference to 45 minutes, no reference to the extent that Blair considered the intelligence, and no comment on the response that the media gave to the claim (even though the book itself waxes lyrical on the wisdom of Blair in wooing the press). In a book that clearly attempts to defend the reputations of two men - Blair and Machiavelli- the failure to properly defend the first against the greatest charge against him strikes either or surrender or cowardice. One cannot sensibly accuse the people of looking at the wrong things if there is no attempt to show why they are wrong to look at them.

So, in summary, an interesting and valuable, but frustrating book. This is a shame, because there are some bits of the book that shine - the description of how different countries use their motorcycle outriders being a perfect example (the French use two, who ride their bikes with their knees and kick cars out of the way; the Germans form a perfect V with several motorcycles, but stop for traffic lights; the British, as any Londoner will tell you, use a rolling roadblock system with each outrider stopping a lane of traffic until the principal goes past, and then repeats the process on the next untended junction). Powell, to some extent, has a fine eye for detail and character. It's a shame that his book lacks the distance or the courage to turn that eye on his erstwhile master.

[Ty Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I heard about this book when reading an outstanding article in The Economist on how Boris Johnson should consider Machiavellian ethics when choosing a new chief of staff. This book by Tony Blair's chief of staff was referenced in the article, so I decided to give it a try. Powell states in the introduction that this book is neither a scholarly work on Machiavelli nor just another memoir of the Blair years. Unfortunately it trends very much towards the latter template. There are very long periods in the book where the author doesn't even reference Machiavelli, and the references to Machiavellianism sometimes feel shoehorned in. Many parts of this book are incredibly interesting, particularly seeing how the inner circle of a government operates. Powell has wise and well thought out advice for leaders, and it is clear that he has a deep understanding of political issues. The book's description of government functioning is both a triumph and a failure, as it alternates between being fascinating and boring, especially for those of us who aren't familiar with all the insiders of the Blair years. It is clear that Powell reveres Tony Blair and despises Gordon Brown, and I am inclined to sympathize with this. Powell provides excellent evidence of Blair's good judgement and Brown's selfish plotting, although this is clearly a very biased perspective. Ultimately this book provides interesting insights and advice, even if it fails to present groundbreaking new ideas and sometimes pushes the limits of the readers attention span.

[Adam Cadoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a real page turner. It portrays itself as a treatise on Machiavellian philosophy, and although Powell does attempt to book-end the theory, really this book plays very well as a tell-all, point of view account of the Blair years. There are really interesting insights into the working of government, the priorities and approaches to decision-making from Blair and his inner circle, as well as the turturous relationship with Gordon Brown. Some of the anecdotes seem almost comical, it is hard to believe that Gordon Brown could be so difficult to work with. It is hard to imagine a #2 in today's government being so obstructive and it did make me wonder how such a relationship would be treated in the media in 2023 versus 20 years ago. Overall, I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in New Labour, how government is actually run and about personality politics at the highest level. For a book on Machiavelli, I think there are probably better, more comprehensive texts that should be referred to before this.

[Stefan-Iulian Tesoi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book to those who have sleeping problems or insomnia, reading a few pages of this book will make them sleep like a log. Having read Il Principe by Nicollo Machiavelli and thinking highly of his work and of his historical persona makes me naturally inclined to be interested in anything that has the name Machiavelli in it. However...the author is british and a british politician on top of it so of course that the end result is a boring book. The author was part of Tony Blair's (described as having a second class intelligence but a first class temperament) inner circle on 10 Downing Street and basically tries to find in his book similarities between his work and "Nicc's" ideas.
I read about a third of the book but had to call it quits since I wasn't getting much value out of it.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting view from a insider in number ten during the Blair years. He uses Machiavelli to analyse what he thinks Blair did right and what he did wrong. I quite enjoyed it but it can be a bit dense if you don't have a wider understanding of how British politics and the British political system works. He definitely has it in for Gordon Brown though.

[OSCAR EDMUNDO DIAZ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must for politians

This book is exceptional. Great details about Tony Blair's time in office. Excellent lessons for politicians.
Highly recommended. Powell writes in a very entertaining and informative way.

[C D · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book that covers the Blair years. I’m sure detractors might challenge some of the accounts but the book brilliantly explains the challenges of a leader and how Machiavelli’s ideas can help leaders to succeed.

[Ioan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating to have a first hand account of what it’s like to be at the centre of govt., but there were just so many things about this that turned me off, many parts just came across so self-righteous at points.

[Michael Macdonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit ponderous at the beginning but a fascinating insight into the working of the Blair government: especially the criticism of the arrogant and ineffective Gordon Brown

[Floyd Millen]

Excellent book

[Harry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the concept and enjoyed the whole read but the last few chapters were more one anecdote after another without much relation back to the title or any particular wisdom in the conclusion.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

At its best, an interesting insider account of Blair’s premiership. At its worst, a consistent carpet bombing exercise of Brown.

[Catalina Plinschi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wise leader, a prudent prime minister... these are the figures that somewhat changed my perspective about politics. A truly great book!

[Elsa Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

bit of a lol - sections were intersting but was quite a slow read

[John Hayward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked the concept but contained a bit too much of the Gordon-Tony soap opera to be wholly satisfying.

[Ravi Warrier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever since I re-read The Prince by Niccolo Machiavellialmost year back (I didn’t quite pay attention and hence understand it the first time I read it when Eve Poole, the research director at Ashridge Business School, handed it to us in one of our lectures), I have wondered what in the book was so sinister as to use the term ‘Machiavellian‘ with despair and disgust.

I, for one, found the book to provide the best advice, in almost all cases, to those wishing to be a great leader. Fortunately, after having started to read Jon Powell’s political memoir on the Blair years (also a book by his colleague Alistair Campbell), The New Machiavelli, I was glad to know I wasn’t alone in admiring Machiavelli and his strategies.

The book caught my eye because of my admiration and fascination with Machiavellian philosophies. I had picked a total of 8 books, but decided to check out only 3 for the fear of annoying my wife. I am glad The New Machiavelli was one of the three.

To come to the point, I really loved reading this book. It was a page-turner, just as any original Robert Ludlum might have been. And it is surprising to hear myself say this, because I am not a keen follower of politics, whether Indian, British or global and stay away from conversations regarding the topic as if it were a plague.

Jon has won me over on two parts with this book, however.

The first is his concise, indiscreet and yet enjoyable method of narrating the Blair decade (1997-2007). Going in detail and referring to parts of his diary, that he kept during the era, he avoids ambiguity that might generally fog political events, especially the controversial ones.

It was interesting to read about the lives of Prime Ministers in Britain, the political systems and the state of affairs as one would see from the inner circle, rather than the eyes of a common citizen. It was, to confess, my first political memoir that I read cover to cover.

It is no secret that the lives of leaders is a solitary one and have many memoirs and biographies on the shelves to remind us of the fact, and so Tony Blair‘s tryst with being a radical thinker and mover in a system fraught with jammed up cogs is not an eye-opener. However, what was interesting to read and learn was the way he went about conducting his business as the Prime Minister.

Having said that, what I didn’t like too much (without blame to the author) was the book seemed lop-sided in Tony’s favor. Almost none of his mistakes were highlighted in detail. Contrarily, almost all the mistakes of his successor and ‘pain-in-the-wrong-places’ colleague, Gordon Brown were described in detail. While they may be true, it was tiring to constantly read the Gordon vs. Blair angle.

The second winning point of the book is, of course, Machiavelli’s philosophies.

The book, divided in twelve chapters, is themed on twelve advices from Machiavelli. With each chapter detailing out the events, situations and behaviors of staff and ministers involved through the spectacles of Machiavelli’s masterpiece. Quotations from The Prince, encompassed by events and behaviors of people from this generation bring new light to the 500 year old manuscript and reinstating that the advice of Machiavelli holds true for modern-day princes and leaders as well.



The book is not only a fascinating read, but also an insightful read for students of political sciences and history. But it is, in my opinion, really meant for leaders, either business or political. There are many parallels that business leaders can draw between what occurs inside political houses and their own boardrooms and meetings. The virtues of leaders are common irrespective of who they are leading and this book highlights some key virtues and actions of great leaders as described by Machiavelli and as exemplified by Tony Blair.

(as published at http://acutance.in/bookreviews/2012/0...)