Reader Score
86%
86% of readers
recommend this book
'The stoic, detached, empirical, hard-boiled, penetrating, realist mind of James Burnham is something to behold, to admire, to emulate' - National Review
A classic work of political theory and practise, this book makes available an account of the modern Machiavellians, a remarkable group who have been influential in Europe and practically unknown in the United States: Gaetano Mosca, Georges Sorel, Robert Michels and Vilfredo Pareto. In addition, there is a long section on Machiavelli himself.
James Burnham contends that the writings of these men hold the key both to the truth about politics and to the preservation of political liberty.
'The stoic, detached, empirical, hard-boiled, penetrating, realist mind of James Burnham is something to behold, to admire, to emulate' - National Review
'James Burnham was an astonishing writer. Subtle, passionate, and irritatingly well-read' - New Criterion
'The immense significance of Burnham's approach is potential. We can ignore it only at the risk of being disarmed by the future course of events' - Irving Kristol