Chapter by Chapter — The Lost Library

Machiavelli Wrote The Prince to Get His Job Back

24 min · 3 jun 2026
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Beschrijving

Was The Prince really a handbook for ruthless power—or a desperate cover letter written by a tortured, unemployed bureaucrat? Discover the hidden story behind Machiavelli’s most infamous work and why his greatest political masterpiece may have been a failed job application. Most people read The Prince as a timeless guide to power, manipulation, and political strategy. But the historical reality is far stranger. After imprisonment, torture, exile, and professional ruin, Niccolò Machiavelli wrote The Prince hoping to win favor with the Medici family and regain a position in government. In this deep dive, we explore the shocking biography behind the book, Machiavelli's desperate circumstances, his admiration for Cesare Borgia, the psychology of power, and why one of history's most influential works may have started as a failed cover letter.

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