Florentine Histories: (New translation) Introduction by Harvey Mansfield, Jr.

published	1990 by Princeton University Press
binding	Paperback
isbn	0691008639 (isbn13: 9780691008639)
pages	416
description	"This translation . . . of Machiavelli's thoughts on his native city is meant to be less colloquial and closer to the original than the typical t...more [close] "This translation . . . of Machiavelli's thoughts on his native city is meant to be less colloquial and closer to the original than the typical translation. This highlights how Machiavelli used words (and thought) differently from us. . . . Machiavelli is too often remembered merely as the realist who took the morality out of `virtue.' As the Histories demonstrate, he was also a gifted writer and historian."--Virginia Quarterly Review "Banfield and Mansfield's new rendition of the Renaissance humanist's study of Florentine history aims to supply contemporary readers with a literal, exact, and readable version of the original. . . . Machiavelli's concept of history and his purpose in charting the story of Florence and its leading families are thoroughly examined before the translators lead their readers into the substance of the social philosopher's arguments and into a work of literature that once again comes alive."--Booklist [close]
date added	03-07-07 edit book

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Ned rated it:

(review of isbn 0760756015)

06/28/08

bookshelves: background, current, currently-reading

Read in September, 2007

recommended to Ned by: title/Author
recommends it for: American Liberals

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this is a simple direct translation by WK Marriott . The English is current, and complicated clausal interrelations are lain smooth. Rarely does the reader feel unsure of the author's meaning. Not bad for a trade paperback. Now to read it in Italian to see how well it's done. (Not this year).
this following quote is not Marriott's but will do just fine to give a sense of the tone overall, it is from some literature network on the internet;:

from Book VI
"Those who make war have al...more this is a simple direct translation by WK Marriott . The English is current, and complicated clausal interrelations are lain smooth. Rarely does the reader feel unsure of the author's meaning. Not bad for a trade paperback. Now to read it in Italian to see how well it's done. (Not this year).
this following quote is not Marriott's but will do just fine to give a sense of the tone overall, it is from some literature network on the internet;:

from Book VI
"Those who make war have always and very naturally
designed to enrich themselves and impoverish the enemy; neither is victory sought or conquest desirable, except to strengthen themselves and weaken the enemy. Hence it follows, that those who are impoverished by victory or debilitated by conquest, must either have gone beyond, or fallen short of, the end for which wars are made. A republic or a prince is enriched by the victories he obtains, when the enemy is rushed and possession is retained of the plunder and ransom. Victory is injurious when the foe escapes, or when the soldiers appropriate the booty and ransom. In such a case, losses are unfortunate, and conquests still more so; for the vanquished suffers the injuries inflicted by the enemy, and the victor those occasioned by his friends, which being
less justifiable, must cause the greater pain, particularly from a consideration of his being thus compelled to oppress his people by an increased burden of taxation. A ruler possessing any degree of humanity, cannot rejoice in a victory that afflicts his subjects. The victories of the ancient and well organized republics, enabled them to
fill their treasuries with gold and silver won from their enemies, to distribute gratuities to the people, reduce taxation, and by games and solemn festivals, disseminate universal joy. But the victories obtained in the times of which we speak, first emptied the treasury, and then impoverished the people, without giving the victorious party
security from the enemy. This arose entirely from the disorders inherent in their mode of warfare; for the vanquished soldiery, divesting themselves of their accoutrements, and being neither slain nor detained prisoners, only deferred a renewed attack on the conqueror, till their leader had furnished them with arms and horses.
Besides this, both ransom and booty being appropriated by the troops, the victorious princes could not make use of them for raising fresh forces, but were compelled to draw the necessary means from their subjects' purses, and this was the only result of victory experienced by the people, except that it diminished the ruler's reluctance to such a course, and made him less particular about his mode of oppressing them. To such a state had the practice of war been brought by the sort of soldiery then on foot, that the victor and the
vanquished, when desirous of their services, alike needed fresh supplies of money; for the one had to re-equip them, and the other to bribe them; the vanquished could not fight without being remounted, and the conquerors would not take the field without a new gratuity. Hence it followed, that the one derived little advantage from the victory, and the other was the less injured by defeat; for the routed party had to be re-equipped, and the victorious could not pursue his
advantage."
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Florentine Histories: (New translation) Introduction by Harvey Mansfield, Jr.

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