Niccolò Machiavelli taught that political leaders must be prepared to do evil deeds in order to ensure the general good of the state, and ever since his name has signified duplicity and immorality. But is his sinister reputation deserved? To answer this question, Quentin Skinner focuses on three of Machiavelli's major works—The Prince, Discourses, and The History of Florence. His analyses and distillation of these texts provide an introduction of exemplary clarity to Machiavelli's doctrines.