The Machiavellians

by James Burnham · 1943

James Burnham's 1943 study of political power and elite theory, subtitled Defenders of Freedom.

1 source-backed recNo paid placementBuy links disclosed

Author signal

James Burnham · Book author

Author signal

Some books matter because the author has done rare work in the real world. We show that separately from who recommended the book.

James BurnhamBook author

Author of The Managerial Revolution and The Machiavellians.

Recommended by, documented so far

The Machiavellians appears in 1 currently documented source-backed recommendation.

Tobi Lütke Co-founder & CEO, Shopify

Strong recommendation Official Knowledge Project interview recording video

unbelievably good

Exact quote verified Strong recommendation video Tobi Lütke: The Skills AI Makes More Valuable

We captured the recommendation language from the source.

The Knowledge Project · 2026-09-15 · accessed 2026-09-27

Direct captions around 01:01:54–01:04:23: Lütke distinguishes The Machiavellians from Burnham's earlier The Managerial Revolution and praises the later book. Work OL3272669W records the 1943 title.

Open source

Strong recommendation · Official Knowledge Project interview recording · video Source 2026-09-15