Former Bank of England governor Lord King names Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince as his favourite book; says he likes the “ruthless truth telling” in 16th century book about power
February 6, 2014 Leave a comment
Lord King names Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince as his favourite book
Former Bank of England governor Lord King says he likes the “ruthless truth telling” in 16th century book about power
8:00PM GMT 04 Feb 2014
Former Bank of England governor Lord King has revealed that Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince, the 16th guidebook on power beloved by Napoleon, Stalin and Nixon, is his favourite book.
“It’s a tremendous read,” the former Bank of England governor told BBC Radio 4’s A Good Read. “What I liked about The Prince is that far from being cynical, it exhibits what John Maynard Keynes once called ruthless truth telling.”
Despite the fact The Prince was written to flatter the ruling Florentine Medici family, the book has taken on negative connotations when linked to Western politics.
“What I liked about The Prince is that far from being cynical, in my view, it exhibits what John Maynard Keynes once called ruthless truth telling,” Lord King said. “He’s being extraordinarily clear and objective about what is required to obtain and stay in power.”
The book, published in 1532, five years after Machiavelli’s death, is a “forerunner” to modern politics, and politicians “do need to understand what it takes to win power and why they’re doing it”, he added.
Lord King points to one passage in The Prince that reads: “For, although one may be very strong in armed forces, yet in entering a province one has always need of the goodwill of the natives.”
“Well, 500 years later, maybe the modern princes who invaded Iraq would’ve done better to read The Prince again,” Lord King said.
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