On Conspiracies (A Selection of 7 Essays)

by Niccolò Machiavelli

Machiavelli is one of the most famous strategists of all time. In this collection, he discusses the dangers of conspiracies, and the component parts of an army, vital for gaining and holding power in his day. He also gives advice on tactics and discipline, and explains why promises made under force ought not to be kept. "Great Ideas": throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves - and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives - and destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization and helped make us who we are.

Essays in this bundle are:
* On conspiracies
* The army, its disciplines and component parts
* Mistakes often made in connection with war
* Rome's dealings with neighbouring states and cities in peace and war
* Sundry remarks on strategy, tactics, new devices and discipline
* Advice to generals in the field
* Salus populi, suprema lex

All are from The Discourses

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Politics, History, Essays, Classics, Italian Literature

124 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1513

About the author

The Prince , book of Niccolò Machiavelli, Italian political theorist, in
1513 describes an indifferent ruler to moral considerations with determination to achieve and to maintain power.

Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli, a philosopher, musician, and poet, wrote plays. He figured centrally in component of the Renaissance, and people most widely know his realist treatises on the one hand and republicanism of Discourses on Livy .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niccol%...

Reviews

[Ali Heydari · Rating 5 out of 5]

From my point of view, modern politics owes its existence and persistence to the Machiavelli and his political theories. In other words, we can say that: “Machiavelli is alive until the politics is alive.”

In this book, with very realistic manner as always, Machiavelli speaks about various types of betrayals in politics, the art of war, different political affairs, etc. and he presents very lucid historical examples about the explained topics in this book as well.

Finally, based on the Machiavelli’s theories, we can conclude that the basis of the politics and political affairs must be politicking and nothing else.

[Paradoxe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Το βιβλίο όπως κι ο συγγραφέας του συνοδεύονται από μια ορισμένη φήμη, που έχει δημιουργήσει κάποιους συνειρμούς. Αντιμετωπίζω ένα ζήτημα που με έχει στενοχωρήσει αφάνταστα και με έχει φέρει σε αδιέξοδο. Έψαχνα μια επιβεβαίωση πως και σε δύσκολες συνθήκες εξακολουθώ να αντιλαμβάνομαι αυτά που έχω εκπαιδευτεί να αναγνωρίζω, μ' εκείνο τον τρόπο, που μπορεί να ονομάσουμε διαίσθηση, ή υποσυνείδητη γνώση ( κοιτάς μια εικόνα, βλέπεις το α, έχεις όμως αποθηκεύσει μέσα σου ήδη το β, που δεν το είδες παρατηρώντας, ή διαβάζεις ένα βιβλίο κανονιστικού χαρακτήρα και δε μπορείς να παπαγαλίσεις ή να εφαρμόσεις σαν κανόνα αυτά που έχεις διαβάσει [ στο ποσοστό που τα αντιλαμβάνεσαι φυσικά βάσει των βιωμάτων και γνώσης σου ], όμως κάποτε που το ξαναδιαβάζεις, συνειδητοποιείς ότι σε όσα υπήρχε αντίσταση λόγω μη συμβατότητας μαζί σου, θυμόσουν τις λέξεις, όχι όμως και την ουσία, ενώ άλλα δε θυμόσουν τις φράσεις, ωστόσο δε σταμάτησες να τις εφαρμόζεις ) και πως η ικανότητα να λειτουργώ λογικά δεν έχει επηρεαστεί σε βαθμό να παραλογίζομαι.

Ένιωσα ζεστασιά στο βιβλίο, εισέπραξα καλή διάθεση στην πραγματικότητα και διαυγή σκέψη, μαζί όμως με κάποια πικρία. Εκείνο το είδος που σε ειδοποιεί ότι αυτός που γράφει, βίωσε. Δεν έχω λόγους να αμφιβάλλω για τις καταστάσεις που έζησα, γιατί μέσω του βιβλίου επιβεβαίωσα εκτός από 'κεινα που άμεσα αντιλήφθηκα και όσα μου προκάλεσαν αμυδρή εντύπωση και δε μπορούσα να βρω το λάθος σε ό,τι συνάντησα. Και αυτό το τελευταίο ήταν και η επιβεβαίωση πως στο βιβλίο δε βρήκα αυτό που ήθελα να βρω, βρήκα και άλλα που δεν τα σκεφτόμουν καν και που ασύνειδα είχαν προκαλέσει την αντίσταση μου.

Το διάβασα σε λίγες ώρες και ήταν χαλαρές. Δε θα το ξαναδιαβάσω, διότι δεν έχει κάτι να μου διδάξει. Έμεινε 5 χρόνια αδιάβαστο και η θέση του το περιμένει για να ξαναμπεί διαβασμένο. Ο συγγραφέας παρόλ' αυτά, μ' ενδιαφέρει να τον ψάξω περισσότερο. Ήταν μάλλον απλοϊκά γραμμένο.

[Triss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Si bien es necesario conocer un poquito de historia para entender los hechos que Maquiavelo expone como ejemplos en esta obra, me ha sorprendido mucho lo fácil que ha sido de leer y su lenguaje "moderno" (si bien he leído una versión en inglés, me esperaba algo bastante más complicado).

[Ahmed Rashwan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not really sure why exactly I did not enjoy this book very much, as it really was informative and was a great way to start my integration into the works of Machiavelli and this actually did make me excited about reading The Prince, which will probably be one of the first books I read next year.

In terms of the book itself, it was at sometimes really bland and at others really confusing, but very informative throughout. The only issue is that perhaps one might have to be accustomed or at least slightly familiar with the names, dates and events of not only the time the book was written but be well acquainted with history as well, particularly that of Europe.

Niccolo sometimes is a little repetitive here, but I can only attribute that to the fact that he is trying to make a point and an example. Speaking of examples; the book felt too much like a long essay, which I guess what discourses technically are, and what ultimately leaves the blame only to me in not approaching this book with that mindset.

All in all, it is a good and informative read, although not sure this could be much applied in our day and time but gives a very insightful perspective on how things were managed at the time, especially within Europe. Not sure if I would recommend it, and most probably would advice to jump straight into The Prince, which is the much more famous of Machiavelli's work.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A misleading title as only a small portion of the texts in this anthology have to do with conspiracy - the majority have to do with medieval wartime strategies and how to train armies. That being said, On Conspiracies remains a great book. Machiavelli simply has a way with words: he is lucid, to the point, and quotable.

[Dendi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brutally ruthless

[Z❦ · Rating 3 out of 5]

on conspiracies is a sharp little book, with machiavelli dissecting the mechanics of power & betrayal in a very technical way. his advice feels cold, calculating— with much emphasis on practicality over morality. i appreciated his clear-eyed breakdown of how conspiracies work, the psychological insight into both conspirators and rulers. still, it didn’t totally grip me. maybe too dry, too distant? i kept wanting more storytelling, more stakes. but i get that wasn’t the point. overall, a solid historical curiosity, but not one i’d come back to for anything beyond strategy 101.

[Arjan Van Nijnatten · Rating 4 out of 5]

On Conspiracies van Machiavelli is een verrassend actueel boekje. In korte maar scherpe observaties laat Machiavelli zien hoe samenzweringen ontstaan, waarom ze vaak mislukken en welke dynamiek erachter schuilgaat. Niet heel toegankelijk en makkelijk leesbaar, maar wel de moeite waard.

[Olivier Beys · Rating 4 out of 5]

One does not bring sticks and stones to a gunfight. And so it is with contemporary politics. In the age of Trump and his band of pluto and kleptocrats, you can't fight fair and expect to win. That is when you need sound strategems, a clear-eyed and, one might say in current parlance, a 'realistic' worldview to knock out your opponent. Machiavelli is your go-to writer to help you develop your arsenal.

This little booklet is a small collection of chapters in either Il Principe and/or the Discorsi. It's hard to say because it isn't mentioned anywhere. There is also no clue as to who and why these chapters were chosen save for the chapter that carries the title of the publication which is called 'on conspiracies', and which contains within it the famous dictum that a dead man cannot take revenge. It is an astute observation, one of many by the Italian.

What he says is mostly common sense, the merit of Machiavelli being mainly that he methodically lists and explores the different options available to a 'prince' or decision maker, before coming to a sensible conclusion what the best course of action is given a certain situation. That said, the chapters in this booklet mainly deal with deceit and war. These are not really common situations for most of us. So while it has no practical use, Machiavelli's method and emotional detachment offers you a way of thinking and a view on leadership in the renaissance.

Like a weapon, it is the person wielding it that does the damage, not the inanimate object itself. Perhaps progressives, with Machiavelli's help and way of thinking, should equip themselves with a dose of ruthlessness. As Popper rightly noted with a Machiavellian touch, we can't be tolerant toward intolerance.

[Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

The bit that was actually on conspiracies was fairly interesting, if not quite what I was expecting. Most of the book wasn't actually on conspiracies at all though (perhaps 'conspiracy' meant something slightly different when this was written? Or maybe it's something to do with the way the original title's been translated? Otherwise it's slightly misleading). A lot of the book was about warfare - conducting sieges, when to engage in battle, different ways of treating the populace and the results of that treatment e.t.c. Much of the book was about making a statement about how a leader should act, and backing it up with some examples from recent or Roman history (and much of the book basically amounted to 'do this because it worked for the Romans', or even 'do this because the Romans did it, and we all know they were great'). That was fine, but not really what I was looking for - what I've hear of Machiavelli had made me expect something a bit more analytical.

[Searchingthemeaningoflife Greece · Rating 5 out of 5]

[...]Δεν πρέπει, λοιπόν, να αποκαλύπτουμε μια δολοπλοκία παρά μόνο όταν είναι πλέον επιβεβλημένο και είμαστε έτοιμοι να την εκτελέσουμε. Και τότε, ακόμη, θα πρέπει να την πούμε σ' ένα, μόνον, άλλο άτομο, το οποίο πρέπει να γνωρίζουμε καλά ή να ελαύνεται και αυτό απ' τα ίδια κίνητρα. Είναι ευκολότερο να βρούμε ένα τέτοιο άτομο απ' το να βρούμε πολλά και, προφανώς, λιγότερο επικίνδυνο. Έτσι, επί πλέον, μπορείς να προφυλαχθείς αν κάνεις κάποιο λάθος, πράγμα δύσκολο όταν είναι αναμεμειγμένοι πολλοί στη συνωμοσία. Διότι έχω ακούσει κάποιον σοφό άνθρωπο να λέει ότι μπορείς να εκμυστηρευθείς τα πάντα σ' ένα μοναδικό άτομο, αφού το «ναι» του ενός αξίζει όσο το «όχι» του άλλου, εκτός αν του το εκμυστηρεύθηκες εγγράφως. Και στην αντίθεσή μας προς τα γραπτά πρέπει να είμαστε ακλόνητοι σαν βράχοι, διότι τίποτε δεν σε καταδικάζει περισσότερο, απ' ό,τι τα ίδια τα γραφόμενά σου. [...]

[Darius Daruvalla-riccio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Machiavelli is interesting to read as history. As strategy, I would recommend considering his views but with skepticism. I think his examples are selective and biased and he tries to derive general principles from one or two specific situations. There are so many variables involved in questions such as whether it is best to use cavalry or infantry. However, when Machiavelli addresses such problems, he comes at them with an X leads to Y approach. As the problems are complex and variable, his simple historical stories don't convince me.

As history, it was somewhat interested to hear the different example stories. However, what interested me most was reading how people from Machiavelli's time looked at the history that came before them.

[Smita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pregamed this book by skimming through Wikipedia pages on Machiavelli but still was not prepared for the amount of historical references that the book assumed its readers are aware of.

Honestly, this is a book that I really struggled with - which, of course, portray more of my lack of ability to comprehend than Machiavelli's genius way of elaboration. It demanded a greater focus than any other previous read and for most part of the book, I had to really read it twice (even thrice) to have a decent understanding.

The chapter on The Army truly escaped me. But the others: on conspiracy, on peace and war; wow. Brilliant, cunning, and eye opening.

[Cameron Krogh Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essentially a short collection of passages from Macchiavelli’s various discourses, neatly demonstrating his ideas of state rule and military strategy, making ample reference to ancient and contemporary disputes and warfare. Collectively, these texts can be likened to Sun Tzu’s “Art of War”, and Machiavelli I very much see as the Sun Tzu of his time. Interestingly, Machiavelli himself wrote a treatise titled “Art of War”, and it is now my task to find out whether or not he ever might have come across any passages from Sun Tzu’s original.

[Foad Ansari · Rating 2 out of 5]

در این کتاب ماکیاولی شاهزاده های جوان را نصیحت میکند. و بحث های این کتاب پیرامون:
انواع خیانت ها و نحوه برخورد با آن
فنون جنگ و مدیریت ارتش
حکومت داری
دفاع از قلعه
پیاده نظام و سواره
درس هایی از تاریخ باستان و روم
شیوه حکومت داری رومیان
و مسایلی دیگر.
چون کتاب در خصوص مسایلی است که دیگر موضوعات ندارد و در عصر جدید همه چیز عوض شده. نمیشود چندان در زمان حال از آن استفاده کرد. ولی شاید برای کسانی که به تاریخ باستان و قرون وسطی علاقه دارن این کتاب خوب باشه.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prudent strategic advice. At times counter intuitive (do not use artillery/canons as a weapon of defense; do not use forts in cities, neither your own or conquered ones) made easy to understand, and illuminated with many historical examples, both from Roman times and Machiavelli's own days.

[Nick Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lesser known but nonetheless timeless classic by Machiavelli. A must read for general life strategy as well as potential statehood.

[A.Leto]

Went on a personal crusade through all the museum shops in Florence to find this and literally grabbed the last copy in the city while others were looking at it so am I doing this right

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a surprisingly gripping read for an old political treatise.
No narrations, sharp essaies with historical examples. Need some time to digest the book.

[Chrissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was like an honest look at leadership without fluff and in the most brutal way. He takes stories from history and turns them into lessons. A good read for anyone who is in a leadership position.

[Animesh Mitra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Must read. If Mujib or Sirajudaulla would have read this book may be they could have averted their calamity, catastrophe, disaster and defeat, which brought death for them and their family members. Also they and their clan lost their kingdom, the crown of the realm, lost their thrown by loosing the game of thrown because of conspiracy of thy enemy and antagonist with whom they had bitter, intense antagonism and animosity. Must read for every politician of Indian subcontinent who has the apprehension and trepidation of conspiracy, which conspiracy can topple and oust their government and can kill them and murder their tribe and clan members, blood relatives like what happened or occurred in 15th August 1975 and 23rd June 1757 through the treason, sedition, treachery, perfidy, betrayal and conspiracy respectively conducted, orchestrated, masterminded, planned and perpetrated by Khandaker Mustaq Ahmad and Mirjafar Ali Khan.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Machiavelli gets straight to the heart of the matter. The virtuous Prince has little to worry about; if he rules justly and with integrity and fairness then his people will love him and the threat of conspiracies is greatly reduced. The virtuous Prince needs then be on his guard only against malcontents who are usually in league with a foreign power. Machiavelli emphasises how difficult it is for such conspiracies to succeed, because the Prince is surrounded by loyal retainers who love him. If a Prince is not virtuous then Machiavelli's prognosis is not good; overwhelming tyrants come to a sticky end.

[Arjen Van der hoeven · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of eerily practical, up to date and poignant advise to the Prince. In addition to 'The Prince' Machiavelli discusses the dangers, and ways to avoid, conspiracies, lack of virtue and discipline in the army, strategic errors, and advises on tactics, modern warfare, and Roman dealings with neighbouring states.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to argue with effective brutality.