The Prince is a 16th-century treatise on how to acquire power, create a state, and keep it. Written by the Italian diplomat Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince is claimed to be one of the first works of modern political philosophy. Review: "If you want to get a perspective on how the politics of power and ruthlessness work, or simply see some of the thinking behind Game of Thrones, this short, slightly fragmentary book, written in the 16th century, is still the best around." Nigel Warburton, Summer Reading: Philosophy Books to Take On Holiday.