The Florentine Republic had known centuries of prosperity and freedom as if nothing could threaten it. But as the Renaissance itself began to crumble, one diplomat stood at the heart of the storm. His name would become a byword for tyranny, but what if his true message was a desperate truth about freedom that we have dangerously misunderstood?
Launch March 2026
Machiavelli: The Price of Freedom will launch in March 2026 in Swedish with the title Machiavelli: Frihet i furstarnas tid.
This is not just a biography. It is a gripping chronicle of an extraordinary life, an exposé of a pivotal moment in history, and a deep dive into a system of ideas that has remained dangerously relevant for 500 years.
Right now the final touches are being made before the manuscript is set and sent for print. Follow the journey to launch by following Erik on Instagram.
Press Voices
KINGS. A WORLD HISTORY.
“Quite simply a masterpiece.”- ÅSA CHRISTOFFERSSON, CORREN
“An epic work … highly educational … captivating and interesting” – BOL.COM
“Sometimes you read a book that changes your view of history. Kings: A World History is that kind of book.” – URBAN LINDSTEDT, HISTORIA.NU
“The author has a thrilling way of writing; it is never stiff, boring, or dusty. /…/ educational, enthralling, and interesting.”, EMBV, HEBBAN.NL
“Through countless stories, we learn timeless lessons about leadership, the human psyche, and the mechanics of power.”, ELMA, STANDAARD BOEKHANDEL
“A reading adventure, full of insights.” – MATS WICKMAN, SVENSKA DAGBLADET
“A masterpiece… masterfully takes you on a journey through time.”, MICHEL DUTRIEUE, STRETTO.BE
A QUEEN’S DREAM
“The storytelling is steady and detailed, with a captivating prose. Well worth reading!” […] “A well-written chronicle of Queen Margaret’s time… It is a portrait of a realpolitiker.”, KATOLSKT MAGASIN
“Erik Petersson brings the complexity of gaining and holding on to power in the medieval era to life.“, …, “We come away with a picture of Queen Margaret as a ruler skilled in political manoeuvring… Her practical, political skills are greatly in evidence.“, KATE LAMBERT, SWEDISH BOOK REVIEW
“Illuminates a fascinating period of Scandinavian history that many have heard of without knowing much about.“, CAROLINE WILHELMSSON, HISTORISK TIDSKRIFT
“The Kalmar Union was no mere side-track.“, LINA STURFELT, POPULÄR HISTORIA
PRINCE OF THE NORTH
“This is the best I’ve read when it comes to historical literature.” – JAKOB CARLANDER, CORREN
“A read for a summer without Game of Thrones” – UGEBLADET SKANDERBORG
“Versatile, vibrant and entertaining” – EKSTRA BLADET
“… both entertained and enlightened… We are as far from traditional history writing as we can get.” – JOACHIM LUND, INFORMATION.DK
“Popular history of the highest degree ” – DAST
“Exciting as an adventure novel […] Petersson highlights both social life, power relations and economics, during this time, so it’s not just exciting but also an in-depth and vibrant history lesson.” -DALADEMOKRATEN
“Exciting […] Read it instead of crime thrillers and airport literature.” ANDERS ELLEGAARD, HISTORIE-ONLINE.DK
“[…] fascinating parentheses about subjects rarely dealt with in our historical works” – DICK HARRISON, SVENSKA DAGBLADET
“An unusually multifaceted image” -JÖNKÖPINGSPOSTEN
“[…] stands out, in the most positive way, from the flood of popular-history books. […] Petersson is not only a highly skilled historian, you can also tell that he is a talented storyteller in the popular-history and fact-filled text that he has so cleverly crafted.” – TIDNINGEN KULTUREN
“A majestic book.” – DAGENS NYHETER
