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Unmasking the Man Behind the Myth: A Gripping Biography of Niccolo Machiavelli

‘A wonderfully assured and utterly riveting biography that captures not only the much-maligned Machiavelli, but also the spirit of his time and place. A monumental achievement.’ – Jessie Childs, author of God’s Traitors.

Notorious and often misunderstood, Niccolo Machiavelli’s legacy has been shaped by his most famous work, The Prince. But was the man truly as sinister as his reputation suggests? Alexander Lee delves deep into Machiavelli’s life, from his impoverished childhood and early abuse to his political triumphs and ultimate fall from grace. Through extensive research, Lee reveals surprising connections between Machiavelli’s personal experiences and his influential philosophical works.

Set against the backdrop of Renaissance Italy, this definitive biography transports readers into the turbulent world Machiavelli navigated, from the opulent halls of Florence to the Borgia pope’s court and the dungeons of the Stinche prison. Lee’s engaging portrait unveils the man behind the myth, offering an intimate look at Machiavelli’s marriages, affairs, and the enduring impact of his ideas.

Both a captivating character study and a vivid snapshot of a pivotal era, Machiavelli provides an unparalleled exploration of one of history’s most intriguing figures, shedding new light on his life, his works, and the world that shaped him.

Publisher Review

Lee's exhaustive, balanced and immensely readable work, sets a wholly new standard for English-language biographies of Machiavelli. -- Tony Barber * Financial Times 'Books of the Year' * Such is its hefty size that I set out to read Alexander Lee's Machiavelli at a lick. However, it is so rich in granular detail - not just about the surprisingly hapless man himself, but about Florentine society and the wars that scudded across Renaissance Italy - that I was forced to take it slowly, and was rewarded handsomely. -- Michael Prodger * New Statesman 'Books of the Year' * Immensely readable . . . Machiavelli emerges from Lee's account as one of the Italian Renaissance's greatest figures. * Financial Times 'Books of the Summer' * [A] fine new biography ... Lee tells his story with verve. -- Lauro Martines * Times Literary Supplement * From Lee's magisterial biography, rich in detail and light on speculation, the writer emerges as a flawed but markedly fascinating individual -- Nicholas Cranfield * Church Times * His life and times are presented in their complex, contradictory fullness, as is Machiavelli himself . . . Lee is to be especially applauded for his even-handed treatment of a controversial historical figure. -- Joanne Paul * BBC History Magazine * Alexander Lee's Machiavelli: His Life and Times sets a wholly new standard for English-language biographies of the Florentine thinker, synthesising recent academic research and placing his subject in a vividly described context of Renaissance society and everyday life -- Tony Barber * Financial Times * A wonderfully assured and utterly riveting biography that captures not only the much-maligned Machiavelli, but also the spirit of his time and place. A monumental achievement. -- Jessie Childs, author of God's Traitors [T]he definitive book on Machiavelli -- Christopher Hart * Sunday Times * [A] weighty and impressively detailed biography -- Michael Prodger * The Times * A superb work of scholarship, securely grounded in the turbulent Italy of Machiavelli's day, and unflinchingly truthful . . . Lee retells the stories of plagues and brush-offs, of brothels, betrayals and massacres, in a brisk and compelling style. -- Ferdinand Mount * Prospect * A fine new biography. -- Simon Heffer * Telegraph * Detailed, accessible and authoritative . . . an utterly absorbing month-by-month, often day-by-day account of Machiavelli's life and career. -- John Guy * Literary Review * The result is a life of Machiavelli that must surely be definitive in its faithfulness to the man and his experience of his time . . . Lee presents a novel interpretation of his subject's thinking. -- John Gray * New Statesman *