Italy in the 16th century. The Medici regain power in Florence for the second time and suspect Niccolò Machiavelli of conspiracy. He is captured and tortured, but the suspicion cannot be proven. It is not until nine years later that Machiavelli returns from his exile to the city of Florence. This point in his life serves as the starting point for Hans Blum's novel. He attempts to reconstruct the life and events of that time from Machiavelli's perspective. Through numerous dialogues, Blum allows readers to partake in Machiavelli's life. Hans Blum (1841 - 1910), son of Robert Blum, who was shot near Vienna in November 1848, was a German lawyer and writer. After emigrating to Switzerland, he also became a cigar manufacturer. A high-quality reprint of the original edition from 1891.