The Art of War

Eli Schuster's View:

Synopsis: (Extract from The Art of War. Presented in dialogue form) Mercenary commander Fabrizio Colonna shares his thoughts on warfare, conscription, untrustworthy mercenaries, and the good old days of citizen warriors in ancient Rome with Florentine gentleman Cosimo Rucellai.

What I learned: One should select infantrymen from the countryside and cavalry from the towns. Why? Because Machiavelli said so!

Memorable Line: "...there exists no more dangerous sort of infantry than one composed of men who make war their profession, since you are forced either to make war constantly and repeatedly pay these men, or run the risk that they will take your kingdom from you. To wage war constantly is not possible; one cannot pay them repeatedly either; therefore, of necessity one runs the risk of losing the state."

You Might Like This Book If: you want to learn more about early 16th Century warfare and don't mind reading a bit of flowery ass-kissing.

Somebody's a Grumpy Bear: "Before they had felt the blows of the Transalpine wars, our Italian princes believed that a prince need only know how to dream up witty replies in his study; write a beautiful letter; display intelligence and readiness in his conversation and his speech; weave a fraud; adorn himself wtih gems and gold; sleep and eat in a more splendid style than others; surround himself wtih a large number of courtesans; conduct himself in a miserly and arrogant manner with his subjects; rot in laziness; give military positions as favors; despise anyone who had shown them any praiseworthy path; and expect that their pronouncements be taken as oracles."