Talleyrand

You will find a lot of the current world, its politics, crises, conflicts among nations in the telling of Tallyrand's life, and many paragraphs to copy and share.

Duff Cooper's bio of Talleyrand was first published in 1932. plenty of water has passed over the dams of political analysis, the interpretation of history and the writing of biography since then, but Duff Cooper's writing and analysis are as fresh and resonant now as they were 75 years ago. Talleyrand had his charm, as everyone agrees, but also had his devious, scheming, self-interested side as contmporaries such as de Stael, Burney, Balzac and Chateaubriand agree. Cooper, no political slouch himself, lays the whole man out for the reader in good vigorous prose. As a result this is a splendid read for anyone interested in the period.

This lively and opinionated biography of French statesman Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord, who lived from 1754 to 1838 and was known simply as "Talleyrand", is a true classic. Duff Cooper's prose is delightful, his insights are sharp, and his witty style is well-suited to describe the life of the very clever diplomat who is his subject. Like Talleyrand's contemporaries, biographers seem to be of two minds about him. On the one hand, he is described as a very wicked fellow, selfish, venal, untrustworthy, and utterly lacking in principle. On the other, he is seen as a patriot and uber-statesman who managed to steer a long and winding course through a flood of tyrants and murderers by being flexible when necessary and unflinching when appropriate. Cooper's biography avoids either extreme; he acknowledges Talleyrand's great talents and patriotism while never shying away from his faults. This is an excellent introduction to Talleyrand, which is still worth reading though first published in 1932. Cooper covers Talleyrand's life succinctly but thoroughly, from his childhood, his early work for the church, his exile in America during the Revolution, his diplomatic work for and against Napoleon, his diplomacy during the Restoration, the Congress of Vienna, and the Second Restoration to his retirement and the hour of his death. Cooper brings a special focus to Talleyrand's Anglophilia and his troubled reconciliation late in life with the Catholic Church. This biography is a very pleasant and informative read.

Duff Cooper paints a truly vivid picture of one of history's most maligned prophets - Talleyrand, whose vision of Europe was not that of the eighteenth century but of the 21st. Some of the book's prose can be hard to decipher at times, as it lacks the stylistic adornment of modernity, but when you adjust to it the pages seem fly by. To get the most out of Talleyrand, one must first be familiar with a good swathe of French history, from the first French Revolution, to all the many years of tumult under first Napoleon and then later the restored Bourbons, all the way to the July Revolution and the subsequent years under Louis-Phillipe. Duff Cooper does not take much time to fill in gaps - he expects the reader to be well-versed, and so only explains historical events in as much as they pertain to his central subject. However, because of this approach, a reader that has a good grasp over their history will find that little of their time is wasted on rehashing well trodden ground, and that instead Duff Cooper has filled every last page with a sharp, well-measured insight, highlighting his subject's many virtues, flaws, and historical connections. It is arguably one of the best biographies I have ever read, and as a student of history Talleyrand's contributions to both the formation and survival of France and the political theory of diplomacy are worthy of remembrance. Unfortunately, the quality of the material is not matched by its formatting. On the Kindle edition there were numerous spelling errors, improper capitalization, missing punctuation, and bizarre errors in the formatting of paragraphs such that a sentence would start on one line and abruptly stop midway, only to continue a line below. While the book was still readable, these myriad issues detracted from the reading experience and made the text vastly harder to digest. Even so, I firmly recommend this book for all of the reasons listed above, as I consider the actual text itself to be worthy of 5 stars - but perhaps see if you can't find some other edition that is properly formatted, be it a physical copy or an alternative listing.

This book, despite being written in by an author Post World War-I, is still an insightful and modern take on the famous Napoleonic era diplomat. As a man who lived at various times in the young United States; Great Britain; and in France under the rule of seven different French regimes, Talleyrand lived an amazing life. This author takes you on a journey through each of the regimes that Talleyrand lived under while also explaining his many diplomatic achievements.

Talleyrand was an extraodinary man—charming and smart and impossible. Duff Cooper writes beautifully and I came away from this biography in awe of the subject and very appreciative of the author. It is so much better than many of today’s biographies which often want to be definitive and think that the way to do that is to be exhaustive. This book gives you a sense of Talleyrand’s genius and complexity. An excellent read.

Tallyrand is such a character it is impossible to make a story of his life boring. Yet I felt like there was much more to be said that was left unsaid.

Have read about Talleyrand when I read about Napoleon Bonaparte. Wanted to the know the man himself. Though he is currently at my place, I have yet to pick is brains!

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If there is a case to call a book delicious, this is it. It is extremely well written, funny, and full of information. It is a treat!

Cette ouvrage était l'un des préféré sinon le préféré de John Kennedy et à raison. A compléter avec d'autres ouvrages sur la période notamment les mémoires complètes de Talleyrand. A lire.

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