Primer of Politics

There are a whole rack of books out these days which claim to expound on or modernize the points made in Machiavelli's 'The Prince'. Many of them are a waste of money, absolute garbage. The rest could never hope to touch this book!Prof.'s Combs and Nimmo wrote what is in many ways a modernization of Machiavelli, and also an illustration. For throughout the text are scattered something like 50 different 1-2 page reviews of major political figures and how their methods in statecraft resulted in pivotal successes or failures throughout their careers.Around these biographical profiles is a thoughtful series of essays on where machiavellian thought might fit in our modern world. And how the old saying of, "the more things change the more they stay the same," is as true for Machiavelli (perhaps even moreso) as for anything else. It was first published in 1984, and reflects many of the changes that were taking place in our society around that time and in the years that followed. This is truly a book belonging to the '80's and '90's, in many ways regrettably so.Personally this is one book that I wish would have a second edition. The more recent biographical profiles end at around J. Edgar Hoover. My copy is highlighted and a bit worn but prized and pampered on the shelf. If you look at some of the out-of-print book sites a copy should turn up before long. Good luck!