Napoleon's Master
Napoleon's Master

Author: David Lawday

Publisher: Macmillan

Published: 2007-11-13

Total Pages: 432

ISBN-13: 9780312372972

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Born into the high aristocracy, where rank meant more than wealth, Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord was to become one of the great politicians of all time. His early career in politics was marked with turmoil: a liberal who saw the need to curb the powers of the monarchy, Talleyrand fled from France when the violence of the revolution turned extreme in 1792, first to England and then to the United States. It was not until his return to France after the dust had settled in 1796 that his star would begin to rise in earnest. First, he was appointed Foreign Minister. In this position, he aligned himself with the charismatic general who would become Emperor of France: Napoleon Bonaparte. In the course of the next three decades, Talleyrand would prove himself perhaps the most adept politician of all time: his political pliability allowed him to survive the fall of Bonaparte and the consequent second Bourbon restoration. He was in the shadow of power in Europe through more upheaval than perhaps any other person of his generation. Napoleon’s Master is a riveting portrait of an eternally fascinating man.

Talleyrand and His World
Talleyrand and His World

Author: Rosalynd Pflaum

Publisher:

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 445

ISBN-13: 9781890434816

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The extent of Talleyrand's political complicity as foreign minister and his resultant important influence in the two coups d'etat--the coup du 18 fructidor and the coup du 18 brumaire--that accelerated Napoleon's rise to power are made abundantly clear. His relationship with the short Corsican general reads like a penny novel, ranging from his early, behind-the-scenes role that helped lead Napoleon to the imperial throne, to when he was Napoleon's collaborator and confidant during the early days of the empire, and ending, finally, with Talleyrand's betrayal of Napoleon, and the emperor's ultimate exile almost two decades later. ...The rest of his long life Talleyrand tried to reduce and downplay his role in this cataclysmic upheaval from that of key participant to that of simple spectator. This notion is turned upside down by Rosalynd Pflaum's painstaking research in original, contemporary documents that have only recently been made available in France. In Talleyrand and his World, she skillfully pieces together his true influence, his political activity, and his intrigues during this critical time.

Talleyrand
Talleyrand

Author: Robin Harris

Publisher:

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 464

ISBN-13:

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A renegade bishop and aristocratic revolutionary, he helped make and break the power of Napoleon. With bravura he then dominated the Congress of Vienna which re-shaped Europe, but soon discovered that the Bourbons had, in his own words, 'learned nothing and forgotten nothing'. Disgrace followed. The Revolution of July 1830 finally brought a renewal of Talleyrand's former influence. So, in his late seventies, he arrived as ambassador in London, where he and his beautiful companion, the duchesse de Dino, dazzled and captivated British society. At the end, his famous death-bed reconciliation with the Catholic Church created almost as great a scandal as his notorious early life. In this authoritative new biography, Talleyrand emerges as always ahead of his times. He urged the advantages of peace, while Europe was racked by war; he consistently advocated political moderation, a free press and a liberal constitution; he was a forceful proponent of Anglo-French entente; he understood the importance of free trade as the route to national prosperity; and he foresaw the rise of America as a great power. Robin Harris depicts a statesman of truly world-class stature.

The Talleyrand Maxim
The Talleyrand Maxim

Author: J. S. Fletcher

Publisher: BoD - Books on Demand

Published: 2023-05-02

Total Pages: 273

ISBN-13:

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The “Talleyrand Maxim” holds that “With time and patience, the mulberry leaf is turned into satin.” The adage has the character of guidance for life for an ambitious legal clerk, Linford Pratt. The moment comes when a “mulberry leaf” falls into Pratt’s hands in the form of the will of a wealthy local industrial magnate, undiscovered at the time of his death. Realizing that possession of it gives him leverage over the natural beneficiaries—the late man’s nephew and niece, and their mother—Pratt sets to work to transform it into his “satin.” As wily as he proves to be, his aspirations face complications, for it seems his possession of the will is not so secret as he supposed. J. S. Fletcher is best known for his detective fiction, but The Talleyrand Maxim is not a typical whodunit. Pratt’s culpability is never hidden from the reader, nor is there a traditional “sleuth.” The suspense lies, rather, in whether he will pull it off, as the suspicions of other interested parties deepen.

Talleyrand in London
Talleyrand in London

Author: Linda Kelly

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2017-05-31

Total Pages: 192

ISBN-13: 1786731509

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The arrival of Charles-Maurice, Prince de Talleyrand-Perigord, as French ambassador in London in September 1830, was regarded as a great event by the British government. Two months earlier the July Revolution in Paris, overthrowing the reactionary rule of Charles X, had brought the liberal Louis-Philippe to the throne. Talleyrand, the best-known diplomat in Europe, had emerged from retirement at the age of 76 to lend his support to the new monarchy and to confirm its acceptance by the other European powers.Few people had aroused more controversy than Talleyrand. A former bishop whose love affairs were notorious, and a turncoat who had abandoned every master he had served, he was widely detested by the French public. But he was greeted as a celebrity in London, where the July Revolution - foreshadowing Britain's own Reform Bill - had been hugely popular. London society had not yet acquired the virtuous tone of the Victorian era. The easy-going morals of the Regency had carried on into the reign of William IV, and the fact that Talleyrand's niece by marriage, the Duchess of Dino, 37 years his junior, was not only his hostess but reputedly his mistress, merely added to theinterest he induced.Talleyrand had arrived in London at a perilous moment. Revolution had broken out in Belgium, where the Belgians demanded independence from Holland to which they had been forcibly joined in 1815. The autocratic powers of Russia, Austria and Prussia threatened war to restore the status quo. It was largely thanks to Talleyrand's diplomatic skills and his close collaboration with the British that the creation of Belgium as a constitutional monarchy was peacefully achieved.Talleyrand's four years in London were the last and, in his own opinion, the most important of his diplomatic career. Linda Kelly's sparkling narrative brings the period to life, providing a fascinating picture of one of Europe's greateststatesmen as he appeared to English eyes.

A World Restored
A World Restored

Author: Henry Kissinger

Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing

Published: 2017-04-07

Total Pages: 600

ISBN-13: 1787204367

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Originally published in 1957—years before he was Secretary of State and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize—, Henry Kissinger wrote A World Restored, to understand and explain one of history’s most important and dramatic periods; a time when Europe went from political chaos to a balanced peace that lasted for almost a hundred years. After the fall of Napoleon, European diplomats gathered in a festive Vienna with the task of restoring stability following the French Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars, and the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire. The central figures at the Congress of Vienna were the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, Viscount Castlereagh and the Foreign Minister of Austria Klemens Wenzel von Mettern Metternich. Castlereagh was primarily concerned with maintaining balanced powers, while Metternich based his diplomacy on the idea of legitimacy—that is, establishing and working with governments that citizens accept without force. The peace they brokered lasted until the outbreak of World War I. Through trenchant analysis of the history and forces that create stability, A World Restored gives insight into how to create long-lasting geopolitical peace-lessons that Kissinger saw as applicable to the period immediately following World War II, when he was writing this book. But the lessons don’t stop there. Like all good insights, the book’s wisdom transcends any single political period. Kissinger’s understanding of coalitions and balance of power can be applied to personal and professional situations, such as dealing with a tyrannical boss or co-worker or formulating business or organizational tactics. Regardless of his ideology, Henry Kissinger has had an important impact on modern politics and few would dispute his brilliance as a strategist. For anyone interested in Western history, the tactics of diplomacy, or political strategy, this volume will provide deep understanding of a pivotal time.

Talleyrand
Talleyrand

Author: Philip G. Dwyer

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2016-09-17

Total Pages: 189

ISBN-13: 1317881834

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From church establishment figure to revolutionary, supporter of Napoleon Bonaparte to promoter of the Bourbon Restoration, the twists and turns of Charles Maurice Prince de Talleyrand’s remarkable career through one of the most turbulent periods of French and European history continue to fascinate. Witty and wiley, cynical and charming, Talleyrand has been portrayed as a cynical opportunist, hypocrite, and traitor who betrayed governments whenever he had a chance to do so. Yet as the representative of France and advocate of peace at the Congress of Vienna, he has also been cast as the saviour of Europe. Philip Dwyer offers a detached, more nuanced analysis of the role of Talleyrand in the corridors of power over five different French regimes. He presents Talleyrand as a pragmatist, a member of the French political elite, mediating between various political interests and ideological tendencies to produce a working compromise, rather than actively seeking the overthrow of governments. His ability to weather the tectonic shifts in French and European politics of the time, and to successfully attach himself to the prevalent political trend, ensured that his role as French statesman was long and productive.