Max Weber declared that compared to the Arthashastra, Machiavelli's "The Prince" is harmless. The Arthashastra -- "The science of politics and political economy" -- is an extended treatise on how to found and rule an empire. The author Chanyaka (also known as Kautilya) was the masterful advisor to ruler Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of the Mauryan empire, one of the greatest our world has ever seen.
Marcus Aurelius was the Emperor of Rome from 161 to 180 CE, and is considered the last of the Five Good Emperors. He was a Stoic Philosopher and his work The Meditations (literally things to one’s self) is a set of private notes and thoughts. It is considered to be one of the greatest extant works of stoic philosophy.
Each translation of The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius takes some liberties. Words are added and some removed in order to better reach meaning and understanding. This latest translation and new modern edition is meant to restore some of these missing elements, and provide a clear and accurate presentation of this great classic in English.
Niccolo Machiavelli was an Italian diplomat and philosopher during the Renaissance, and a
senior official in the Florentine Republic. After being imprisoned, and then exiled from politics,
he wrote "The Prince" in 1513. While a keen commentator on political and military matters,
Machiavelli also wrote poetry and comedies which were popular in his lifetime, unlike his
political works. Still, his first love was ever and always politics.
This is an international collection spanning over 2,000 years of history. Two books are from China, one from India, two from Italy, and two from Japan. These works provide insight into the thinking of warlords and kings who ruled across Asia and Europe in ancient times.
Some of these books are focused more on war and military science (Art of War, Book of Five Rings, Hagakure), others are more self-reflective and develop an ethical philosophy (Analects, Meditations), and others still are focused more on politics and ruling (Arthashastra, The Prince). Each of these books provides a unique and historical perspective regarding these topics, and they complement each other in tracing deep insight into the nature of leadership, war, politics, and statecraft.