Niccolo Machiavelli was born on May 3, 1469 in Florence, Italy. Niccolo grew up in a middle-class family with a peaceful childhood and a humanist education. He spent two years studying business mathematics, then worked for seven years in Rome for a Florentine banker. In 1494 he returned to Florence, he witnessed the expulsion of the Medici family who ruled Florence for decades. In 1500, Machiavelli married Marietta Di Lodovico Corsini and they had six children together. Three years later, Pope Alexander VI fell ill with malaria and died after less than a month in office. Julius II is an enemy of the Borgias. He was elected. Julius II then banished Borgia to Spain where he died in 1506. Machiavelli helped raise and train the Florentine civil militia to reduce Florence's dependence on mercenaries. Later that year he served as a Florentine diplomat to Pope Julius. whose conduct he personally observed as a “warrior pope”. In 1512, the Medici family regained control of Florence and Machiavelli was removed from office. A year later, wrongly accused of participating in a plot to restore the republic, he was detained for three weeks. After being in prison, he left Florence for a quiet town called Sant' Andrea where he decided to pursue a career as a writer. In the year 1513, he began writing his Discourses on the First Ten Books of Titus Livius, a book focused on states controlled by politically active citizens. The book was not completed until 1521, mainly because he was interrupted in the Discourses to write The Prince. Even while Machiavelli was writing, he desperately wanted to return to politics. His main aim in writing The Prince was to win the favor of Lorenzo De' Medici then governor of Florence and the person...... middle of paper ... who must be wise in general. A prince who avoids hatred or contempt cannot lead a nation that hates him. Keep the faith to a minimum. Trust is a good thing, but it can be broken with the slightest greed. Bravery and strength are necessary for every great man. All these characteristics will build a strong and amazing prince in the eyes of Niccolo Machiavelli. After reading The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli, I truly learned what it takes to become a prince and learned about what he went through in life. I learned so much about Niccolo's story that I didn't expect to learn that this book is an awesome book. It is very clear and to the point that it is easy to understand any problem while reading this book. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested. I personally wouldn't have picked this book but I'm glad I was told to read this book.