Political Fictions

“In this erudite collection of lectures, medievalist Boucheron…considers the origins and features of ‘political fictions,’ or the ‘stories, values, images, and partially imagined memories’ that may facilitate a tyrant’s rise to power…conveyed with elegance and enthusiasm. This glitters with jewels of insight.” —Publishers Weekly

“This book effectively demonstrates how these old fictions continue to influence contemporary politics…thought-provoking…This interdisciplinary work is highly recommended for students and scholars of political science, philosophy, and medieval European history.” —Library Journal

“A nimble work of political philosophy and history that probes the stories told by tyrants and patriots.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A thought-provoking look at political stories throughout history.” —Booklist

Praise for Machiavelli:

“This energetic little book…offers a knowing guide to Machiavelli’s life and work…Boucheron makes a clever case.” —New York Times

“To reframe our understanding of Machiavelli, Mr. Boucheron asks, Who was he writing for?…If The Prince was meant to help ordinary people understand what their leaders were up to, then it is not a handbook for the power-crazed but a means of stopping them.” —Wall Street Journal

“Packed with insights into how Machiavelli has been construed and misconstrued down the ages and why his ideas still resonate so powerfully today.” —Financial Times

Patrick Boucheron is a renowned French historian. He previously taught medieval history at the cole normale superieure and the University of Paris, and is currently a professor of history at the Coll ge de France. He is the author of twelve books, including Trace and Aura- The Recurring Lives of St. Ambrose of Milan (Other Press, 2022) and Machiavelli- The Art of Teaching People What to Fear (Other Press, 2020), and the editor of five, including France in the World (Other Press, 2019), which became a bestseller in France.

Willard Wood grew up in France and has translated more than thirty works of fiction and nonfiction from the French. He has won the Lewis Galanti re Award for Literary Translation and received a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Translation. He lives in Norfolk, Connecticut.

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