Life of Castruccio Castracani: Related by Niccolo Machiavelli and Sent to Zanobi Buondelmonte and Luigi Alamanni, His Dearest Friends

Set amid the ferment and factionalism of early modern Italy, "Life of Castruccio Castracani" is a vivid and action-packed account of the rise and fall of a very "Machiavellian" prince. A charismatic warlord of the early 14th century, Castruccio Castracani came from humble beginnings as a foundling, and ended his life as ruler of Lucca, Pisa, Pistoia, and Florence. In this Life, Machiavelli extols Castracani for his acute understanding of the politics of warfare and statecraft, and while sparing no detail of his shrewd and often bloody tactics, he overturns our moral prejudice, depicting Castracani as a popular unifying force. "Life of Castruccio Castracani "is accompanied by selected passages from Machiavelli's "Florentine Histories" to give a powerful, rounded portrait of the abandoned child who rose to become the most powerful man in Tuscany. Niccolo Machiavelli was a prominent Florentine politician and writer, whose greatest work, "The Prince, " has ensured his lasting fame.