Professor Skinner presents a lucid analysis of Machiavelli's text as a response both to the world of Florentine politics, and as an attack on the advice-books for princes published by a number of his contemporaries. This edition includes notes on the principal events in Machiavelli's life, and on the vocabulary of The Prince, as well as biographical notes on characters in the text.

Editor's note; Introduction; Principals events in Machiavelli's life; Bibliographical note; Translator's note; Map; Dedicatory letter; 1. The different kinds of principality and how they are acquired; 2. Hereditary principalities; 3. Mixed principalities; 4. Why the Kingdom of Darius, conquered by Alexander, did not rebel against his successors after Alexander's death; 5. How one should govern cities or principalities that, before being conquered, used to live under their own laws; 6. New principalities acquired by one's own arms and ability; 7. New principalities acquired through the power of others and their favour; 8. Those who become rulers through wicked means; 9. The civil principality; 10. How the strength of all principalities should be measured; 11. Ecclesiastical principalities; 12. The different types of army, and mercenary troops; 13. Auxiliaries, mixed troop and negative troops; 14. How a ruler should act concerning military matters; 15. The things for which men, and especially rulers, are praised or blamed; 16. Generosity and meanness; 17. Cruelty and mercifulness; and whether it is better to be loved or feared; 18. How rulers should keep their promises; 19. How contempt and hatred should be avoided; 20. Whether building fortresses, and many other things that rulers frequently do, are useful or not; 21. How a ruler should act in order to gain reputation; 22. The secretaries of rulers; 23. How flatterers should be shunned; 24. Why the rulers of Italy have lost their states; 25. How much power fortune has over human affairs, and how it should be resisted; 26. Exhortation to liberate Italy from the Barbarian yoke; Appendixes; Bibliographical notes; Index of subjects; Index of proper names.