Great Political Thinkers contains introductions to four of the most influential political theorists in the Western tradition. Written by experts in the fields of history, philosophy, and political science, these concise yet authoritative essays examine the thought and works of Machiaveilli, whose name lives on today as a byword for duplicity; Hobbes, the first great English philosopher; Mill, a liberal thinker and champion of individual liberty; and Marx, whose theories have exerted the single most profound effect on twentieth century politics. Small masterpieces of compression and readability, these studies offer readers important insights into past masters whose ideas still affect the way we think today.