Machiavelli and Mystery of State

Machiavelli and Mystery of State, first published in 1989, studies the intersection of sacred and secular conceptions of kingship in the Renaissance by documenting in detail six instances of the attempt to connect Machiavelli's thought to an ancient and secret tradition of political counsel, the arcana imperii or mysteries of state. This book illuminates an important and neglected dimension of Machiavelli's powerful influence on Renaissance political discourse.

'I definitely recommend this book, not only to the scholarly specialist in the history of ideas, literature and political thought but to anyone who at some time has been intrigued by Machiavelli and the Machiavellian tradition.' The Times Higher Education Supplement, 'Donaldson is straightforward, easy to use as a reference, but still sophisticated in his thesis and presentation. Donaldson's work remains an attractive interpretation of Machiavelli's impact on the secular and sacred view of kingship in western Europe.' Canadian Journal of History, 'This is a book on Machiavelli as Machiavellian, as advocate of the effectiveness of the use of evil in politics. The author, Peter S. Donaldson, has carefully examined the works of a number of Trans-Alpine writers of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and we get a clear impression of the great influence that Machiavelli had in Northern Europe.' The American Historical Review