Unarguably the most infamous of all the great works of political philosophy, Niccolo Machiavelli’s Il Principe has inspired revulsion and adoration in almost equal measure. For some, it is a handbook for evil, an appeal for politics where the ends always justify the means, and where ‘Old Nick’ tells rulers they must ‘learn not to be good’. For others, as it was for some of the American Founding Fathers, it is a republican call-to-arms, asserting the sanctity of the public realm and the goods of self-government. And, since Rousseau, some have even been tempted read it as satire.

A wickedly honest and endlessly provocative book, The Prince has inspired intense debate since even before its posthumous publication in 1532, and its heady mix of Roman Republicanism, Renaissance Humanism and real-world focus makes it a great introduction to political philosophy.