In this episode of Reading for Wisdom, we discuss ten favourite, and some essential, books that help the beginner and the curious learn more about, and explore the ideas and lifetime of that political and intellectual revolutionary, Nicolo Machiavelli. Our ten books include two that are great guides to what we believe is essential in understanding Machiavelli - understanding his times and surroundings i.e. Renaissance Florence. The next four are our 'guided tours'; works by scholars like the great Quentin Skinner on their interpretation on Machiavelli's thought, importance and relevance. Finally we talk you through four volumes that pretty much collect the Florentine's main writings. We hope you enjoy our guided tour.

YouTube and the wider internet are packed with Machiavelliana. The well-known BBC documentary on Machiavelli featuring notable politicians, practitioners and commentators is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsMs-DuGy1o . It really just focuses on The Prince so misses the point somewhat. A great watch though. For a better guide, Quentin Skinner gives us an Introduction to Machiavelli at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKGuzJ6GwHM .

A favourite academic explorer of mine of the Florentine is the wonderfully lucid Yale Professor Steven Smith who shares his brilliant two-parter lecture on Nicolo at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2FANdhTDyI and then part two at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzMXZiR6P7U . I recommend watching Professor Smith's complete political philosophy course on Yale's open lecture channel. A tour de force.
Strategist Philip Bobbitt is insightful https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4zXb0oQwik

The School of Life channel has a take on Machiavelli’s political theory at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOXl0Ll_t9s and “Machiavelli’s advice for nice guys” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTQlnmWCPgA . Meanwhile, Eudaimonia channel takes us through The Prince https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCL0bI0i-00

Don McDonald gives us a complementary view to ours on his character at this TedX https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=664thVARTQo

Moving away from YouTube, I always like to give my favourite radio programme a shout out. BBC's In Our Time with Melvin Bragg discuss Machiavelli and the Italian City State with guests including Quentin Skinner at https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p004y26p and Melvin and co discuss The Medici at https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03m7z08

Finally, back to YouTube, if you want a funny, smart-ass take on the great Florentine try Jack Rackam’s take at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjUC4AnBzDk

Hope you enjoy our video and these links!
Happy and wise reading
Emmet