Originally appearing in 1864, this work provided the basis for the anti-Semitic forgery, `The Protocols of the Elders of Zion’. Waggoner’s (political science, Nichols College, retired) new translation and commentary seeks to redeem the original work. In fact, the greater part of this volume consists of Waggoner’s remarks concerning the differences between Machiavelli and Montesquieu, the legacy of Machiavellian thought, the influence of Saint-Simon, the role of drama in the text, and the history of the Dialogue.