The Machiavellians: Defenders of Freedom

'The stoic, detached, empirical, hard-boiled, penetrating, realist mind of James Burnham is something to behold, to admire, to emulate' - National Review

A classic work of political theory and practice, this book makes available an account of the modern Machiavellians, a remarkable group who have been influential in Europe and practically unknown in the United States: Gaetano Mosca, Georges Sorel, Robert Michels and Vilfredo Pareto. In addition, there is a long section on Machiavelli himself.

James Burnham contends that the writings of these men hold the key both to the truth about politics and to the preservation of political liberty. He presents the concept of 'Bonapartism' which basically explains how democratically elected officials use the concept of democracy to justify acting like dictators. Once you see it you won't be able to unsee it.

Originally released in 1943 and long out of print, James Burnham's classic text on the small group of Italian political theorists (Pareto, Mosca, Michels) influenced by the infamous Florentine "The Machiavellian's."  A counter-narrative to the all-pervasive myth of democracy, it strips away rhetorical pretenses and reveals the inevitable will to power of an entrenched elite who are the real rulers in the political realm.