If I had $75 to spare I'd likely buy this book. I'm neither a trained historian nor a political philosopher, so if you want a quick description of what this book's really about and where it fits in current philosophical debates you'll get a better understanding of that from the reviewers on the book's website than any brief description I could offer. I'll just note that I found it to be thought-provoking and some of the chapters are quite interesting (at least to readers, like me, who are interested in Machiavelli, Enlightenment political philosophy or the founding of the United States). I found Markus Fischer's prologue and the chapters on connecting Machiavelli to (and distinguishing him from) Locke, Montesquieu and Hamilton to be especially interesting and worthwhile. Obviously this Cambridge Press book isn't for everyone, but if you are interested in the these topics or individuals it's worth your time.
Posted by armand at August 7, 2006 07:37 PM | TrackBack | Posted to Books