Niccolò Machiavelli 
The History of Florence 
With linked Table of Contents

Machiavelli’s history of Florence is more a history of the politics of Florence rather than the events of Florence. Written late in life while out of favor with the ruling party; Machiavelli felt that his country could have been the grandest republic in the world’s history, but that it had failed to live up to its full potential. In this book he explained why and how that came to be.