Voltaire said, Machiavelli taught Europe the art of war; it had long been practiced, without being known. For Machiavelli, war was war, and victory the supreme aim to which all other considerations must be subordinated. This is a fundamental work by the political and military theorist, its pages outline questions that theorists of war continue to examine, making it useful reading for any student of military history, strategy, or theory. Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527) believed The Art of War to be his most important work.