Karl Mittermaier

An excellent but very dense biography of Machiavelli and his time. Karl Mittermaier not only offers an account of Niccolo's life but also that of many of his contemporaries. It is a difficult task to present the complicated politics in both Florence and Italy in a readable manner. A task the author accomplishes splendidly, even though it sometimes takes effort to carry on reading given the complexity of the matter. In terms of politics, Machiavelli was not very skilled in reading tectonic shifts. Twice, he ended up on the wrong side and cast out of the political process. Thus, in his time, he was better known as a writer of comedies. His historical and political writing was only noticed after his death. Just like Clausewitz, Machiavelli was not appreciated by his contemporaries who failed to understand the depth of his thinking.

While it took me a long time to finish this biography, I still recommend it fully as it does the man and his work justice.… (plus d'informations)