Conceived by the diplomat and political theorist Niccol� Machiavelli in an elucidative and ingenious manner, this is one of the works that challenged the political beliefs of its time and still today continues to provoke and disturb with its analyses on statism and power. The title is regarded as a landmark in the history of Western political thought, being considered one of the first in modern political philosophy, as well as required reading for the curious and politically inclined in matters of State.