A review by reedthereader
Discourses on Livy by Julia Conaway Bondanella, Peter Bondanella, Niccolò Machiavelli

informative reflective medium-paced

This book is a far better look into what Machiavelli believed in than the Prince is. Its a longer book that is based off of Livy's Roman History. Every chapter goes through what Livy says and explains what 16th century Italy should do with this regarding that. The first part focuses on the internal politics of Rome, how was Rome formed, how conflict is good for a society. The second part is focused on the external parts of Rome: War and expansion and the final part is all about great man and how they influence their society. 

This book is really good to get a better understanding of Machiavelli and I personally found chapter 20-21 in book II to be my two favorite chapters, the first discusses a prince who rules with kindness and the second, a prince who rules with cruelty. Both those chapters really stuck out to me.