Talleyrand
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- Author：Duff Cooper
- ISBN：0099541629
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Summary
Duff Cooper's classic biography charts the remarkable progress of Talleyrand; a silver-tongued master diplomat， infamous turncoat， peacekeeper and libertine。 Talleyrand held high office in five successive regimes from France's Ancient Regime， into the Revolution of 1789， Robespierre's Terror， Napoleon's epic wars， and on through restored kings to more revolution。 Duff Cooper brings Talleyrand vividly to life and paints an exhilarating picture of this tumultuous period in European history
Reviews
Pablo
，
A titan amongst men， always true to himself and a patriot to France。 Really nice to read。 His death was particularly fitting to his life and extremely dignified， which was nice。The book could do with a bit more depth。 I would read another， more modern， more in detail biography of Talleyrand， but I recommend this in combination with Zweig's "Fouche"。 The counterpoint is just so nice。 A titan amongst men， always true to himself and a patriot to France。 Really nice to read。 His death was particularly fitting to his life and extremely dignified， which was nice。The book could do with a bit more depth。 I would read another， more modern， more in detail biography of Talleyrand， but I recommend this in combination with Zweig's "Fouche"。 The counterpoint is just so nice。 。。。more
Yj
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Brilliant！Both the man and the book。Talleyrand not only managed to survive through five regimes throughout the French Revolutions without losing his head， but was also a prominent and moving force in those regimes。 He was a defrocked priest， an adulterer and a bribe taker but also intensely loyal to all he cared about， both people and ideas。He never betrayed the ideals he believed in。That France needed a strong， stable， Government。 That France should accept it’s natural borders and not invade ot Brilliant！Both the man and the book。Talleyrand not only managed to survive through five regimes throughout the French Revolutions without losing his head， but was also a prominent and moving force in those regimes。 He was a defrocked priest， an adulterer and a bribe taker but also intensely loyal to all he cared about， both people and ideas。He never betrayed the ideals he believed in。That France needed a strong， stable， Government。 That France should accept it’s natural borders and not invade other countries for sport or spoil。 And that France and Europe benefited from committed Allies and peace。His political ideas were always a step ahead of those around him and leaders ignored his advice to their peril。 。。。more
Jason
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A masterpiece in biography
Monty Milne
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I was amazed at the neglect Talleyrand suffered in childhood。 Ironically， had he born into poverty instead of aristocratic wealth， he would probably have been far better treated – at least emotionally。 He was surely the most brilliant diplomat of his or possibly any age。 The favourable terms he obtained for France in the 1803 Treaty of Amiens were a diplomatic master stroke。 He knew it – but he also knew it wouldn’t last。 From 1807 he became convinced Bonaparte was a menace to the peace of Europ I was amazed at the neglect Talleyrand suffered in childhood。 Ironically， had he born into poverty instead of aristocratic wealth， he would probably have been far better treated – at least emotionally。 He was surely the most brilliant diplomat of his or possibly any age。 The favourable terms he obtained for France in the 1803 Treaty of Amiens were a diplomatic master stroke。 He knew it – but he also knew it wouldn’t last。 From 1807 he became convinced Bonaparte was a menace to the peace of Europe and sought to destroy him。 For this， many French persons would consider him a traitor， but if he was right – and it seems obvious to me that he was – then this was a form of deeper patriotism。 He was also on the side of the angels when it came to Polish independence – a cause in which he sincerely believed。 Yes， he took bribes for it， but when Bonaparte refused to grant it， he returned the money。I liked the anecdote about Thiers， who complained that whenever he tried to talk politics， Talleyrand turned the subject onto women。 “But，” said Talleyrand， “women are politics。”Bonaparte’s famous screaming rant at Talleyrand – where he called him “shit in a silk stocking” in public – was met by Talleyrand with a calm imperturbability which is very much to his credit， and shows up Bonaparte for the ill bred yob he was。 His apparent laziness was an aristocratic affectation which many others have admired and tried to emulate （including Harold Macmillan）。 Everything he did was carefully choregraphed political theatre – up to and including his extraordinary death bed scene， when he delayed signing his reconciliation with the church until the last minute， and turned his hands over to receive the holy oil of the last rites on their backs and not the palms – a deliberate detail to remind the anointing priest that he had been consecrated a bishop。 This gesture – made at the very gate of death – was not only pulling rank， but also reminding all the onlookers at his very public death bed that as far as he was concerned he had won the game and had no regrets。 I cannot say I admire Talleyrand， not exactly – he was， after all， both spectacularly financially corrupt and an enthusiastic adulterer。 And yet there is something utterly fascinating about his life and character。 This is a superbly well written biography which I greatly enjoyed。 。。。more
Constantinos Capetanakis
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A remarkable， to say the least， book， about a remarkable， to say the least， man， written by an exquisite pen， that of Mr。 Duff Cooper。 Talleyrand has been both loathed and admired but there can be no doubt that he possessed one of the most brilliant personalities of all ages， one of the most complex， perceptive， and far-reaching minds and lived a life which goes to show that there are instances， only too few， that real characters are more multi-layered and surprising than fiction。History of nati A remarkable， to say the least， book， about a remarkable， to say the least， man， written by an exquisite pen， that of Mr。 Duff Cooper。 Talleyrand has been both loathed and admired but there can be no doubt that he possessed one of the most brilliant personalities of all ages， one of the most complex， perceptive， and far-reaching minds and lived a life which goes to show that there are instances， only too few， that real characters are more multi-layered and surprising than fiction。History of nations， and history of diplomacy can only pay boundless tribute to Talleyrand。 It is totally indifferent whether one agrees with his strategy， stratagems and policies; I for one， do， but the real point lies elsewhere: that in his 45 odd years of diplomatic experience this man had not only the ear （together with the infamous dissociations） of Kings， Napoleon， Czars， Prime Ministers， Princes etc。 but also largely dictated and strove for policies and agreements which largely define European history of the first half of the 19th century and thereafter。One might ask， “who cares， he betrayed everybody”。 To any such question， the only answer is a） everybody should care， he didn’t betray anything， only people who betrayed their country and b） if you think so， don’t read this book and stick to the nonentities and the few -at best- mediocrities of today。“I abandon my reputation to all the misunderstandings and all the insults of the mob。 I am thought immoral and machiavellian， I am only calm and disdainful。 I have never given evil counsel to a government or to a prince; but I do not share their fall。 After shipwrecks there must be pilots to save the victims。 I have presence of mind and I guide them to some port; little matter what port provided that it shelters them… I have braved the stupidity of public opinion all my life”。If this type of personality， having shaped an entire （one could validly say multiple） political and diplomatic era and of which myriads of true and false words have been spoken and written， does not appear interesting enough， described in imitable prose， through extensive research and calculated and carefully evaluated and filtered admiration by Mr。 Cooper， then none is。 。。。more
Alje Zwijghuizen
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The puppetmaster who pulled the strings of many great leaders， including Napoleon and Czar Alexander during the French Revolution。 Incredible biography about an incredibly eloquent， charming and shrewd man。 Would recommend！
Paul Browne
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What an incredible life Talleyrand had。 He managed to somehow stay alive whilst manipulating， charming and lying his way for decades。 This is the definitive book on Talleyrand and somehow Duff Cooper seems to have written it in a modern style even though it was first published in 1932。 Really enjoyable and informative。 I will need to read it again in the future。
Frazer Tolley
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Brilliant as a starter book and fantastic if your already familiar with wily old mate Talleyrand。Not entirely relivent to review。。。 But its one of my all time favourite books and my copy has literally travelled the world with me。
Jennifer Granick
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Delightful writing about a fascinating guy。
Muaad Sucule
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A fitting last book to read for the year。 I feel like it’s an honour to read about this man。 He was definitely a unique human being who we have never seen anyone like before or after。 He was possibly the greatest statesman of all time。 France is a powerful nation because of him。 He was deeply intelligent and had a genius for politics。 There’s no point trying to put a finger on this person and trying to understand him。 He will always remain as a mystery to me and I prefer it that way。 The lessons A fitting last book to read for the year。 I feel like it’s an honour to read about this man。 He was definitely a unique human being who we have never seen anyone like before or after。 He was possibly the greatest statesman of all time。 France is a powerful nation because of him。 He was deeply intelligent and had a genius for politics。 There’s no point trying to put a finger on this person and trying to understand him。 He will always remain as a mystery to me and I prefer it that way。 The lessons that I learnt from his political career as well as the pearls of wisdom that he left behind will always remain with me。 I’m sure every now and then in my future I’ll remember the Prince with the same fascination that I have now。 5/5 for me。 Anyone who is interested in political science or life in general should read about this great man。 。。。more
Mark Joyce
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The “great man” approach to history looks to be falling out of fashion， which has to be a net positive development overall。 But there will be some collateral damage， including a likely fall in readership for classics like this。 In many respects this is a wince-inducing book when read through an early twenty-first century lens， including as it does large dollops of misogyny and casual racism。 It is also conceited， with Duff Cooper clearly wishing to draw attention to various perceived similaritie The “great man” approach to history looks to be falling out of fashion， which has to be a net positive development overall。 But there will be some collateral damage， including a likely fall in readership for classics like this。 In many respects this is a wince-inducing book when read through an early twenty-first century lens， including as it does large dollops of misogyny and casual racism。 It is also conceited， with Duff Cooper clearly wishing to draw attention to various perceived similarities between his subject and himself， much like Boris Johnson when he pretends to write biographies of people like Winston Churchill。 But for all its flaws， this is a riveting read and one that you feel captures something of the essence of Talleyrand and the times he lived in （as well as Duff Cooper and the times he lived in） even if half the anecdotes in it are almost certainly complete bollocks。 。。。more
Banbury
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Given how many biographies there are of Napoleon， there are shockingly few of Talleyrand， at least in English。 I learned quite a bit from this biography; but my knowledge of Tallyrand and his times is fairly limited。 Duff gives a good accounting of Talleyrand's intelligence， tactfulness， and skillful diplomacy， showing how Tallyrand was able to survive in so many contradictory administrations。 Counterintuitively， Duff's premise is that Talleyrand was able to succeed in so many different milieux Given how many biographies there are of Napoleon， there are shockingly few of Talleyrand， at least in English。 I learned quite a bit from this biography; but my knowledge of Tallyrand and his times is fairly limited。 Duff gives a good accounting of Talleyrand's intelligence， tactfulness， and skillful diplomacy， showing how Tallyrand was able to survive in so many contradictory administrations。 Counterintuitively， Duff's premise is that Talleyrand was able to succeed in so many different milieux because of his own consistent views that French nationalism should be subject to European identity， France and England should be allies， and war is to be avoided。 Reading the book is generally pleasurable， although there were several times when Duff would use the word "he" in a sentence when it was not quite clear which antecedent he he （Duff） meant。 。。。more
Mike Imbrenda
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Moving portrait of a flawed man who was a patriot to his country。
Liam Murray
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Talleyrand was one of the most interesting characters in French history， but he doesn't come to life in this book。 Cooper repeatedly makes the point that Talleyrand was charming， suave and very very witty， but provides barely a single example of his wit and pretty much none of his charm， so we have to take it on trust。 Would love to read a different book on such a significant subject， but until that book is written Talleyrand will remain an enigma。 Talleyrand was one of the most interesting characters in French history， but he doesn't come to life in this book。 Cooper repeatedly makes the point that Talleyrand was charming， suave and very very witty， but provides barely a single example of his wit and pretty much none of his charm， so we have to take it on trust。 Would love to read a different book on such a significant subject， but until that book is written Talleyrand will remain an enigma。 。。。more
Джордан
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I really enjoyed this biography not only because of the classical style in which it was written but also because of the significant amount of personal content on the legendary and controversial figure。 Beautifully written， exquisite pros， this absolute classic is a must read for all history buffs。
Mictter
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Cuando hay un consenso general de que alguien es un mal bicho legendario， conviene aprender de él， y difícil encontrar a una persona más intrigante， corrupta， liante y a la vez buen diplomático que el obispo de Autun， capaz de hacer carrera en el Antiguo Régimen， durante la Revolución， servir a Napoleón， a Luis XVIII y finalmente a la Monarquía de Julio。Esta biografía es mucho mejor que lo que cabría esperar cuando uno lee que el autor fue Primer Lord del Almirantazgo; a veces se pierde en detal Cuando hay un consenso general de que alguien es un mal bicho legendario， conviene aprender de él， y difícil encontrar a una persona más intrigante， corrupta， liante y a la vez buen diplomático que el obispo de Autun， capaz de hacer carrera en el Antiguo Régimen， durante la Revolución， servir a Napoleón， a Luis XVIII y finalmente a la Monarquía de Julio。Esta biografía es mucho mejor que lo que cabría esperar cuando uno lee que el autor fue Primer Lord del Almirantazgo; a veces se pierde en detalles y se vuelve farragosa， aunque basta con poner una cita del protagonista para que recupere todo el interés， como tras recibir sin pestañear una bronca en público de Napoleón， quien en el más puro estilo cuartelero amenazó con rebanarle el pescuezo: "El Emperador está encantador esta mañana" 。 。。。more
Eric M
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Barely a three star book for me， but I am usually very sparing with stars。 Talleyrand had an extraordinarily interesting life。 The writing was okay， but failed to provide enough context for me。 I am not already very steeped in all of the history of the French Revolution， the Terror， and the whole life and career of Napoleon。 I know many of the broad outlines， but this book seemed written for a reader who ideally would already know virtually all of the events and the significant people。
A。 M。
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A wonderfully told story， sentimentally editorialized in the style of its time。
Brian Jones
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Fascinating as a product of the 1930s。 You don't get history written like this anymore: "The last Director to be appointed to that office was General Moulins， a melancholy and quite undistinguished soldier。 Neither he nor anybody else ever understood why he was selected for this important position。 He stumbles into the pages of history， muttering gloomily， and wondering why he has been sent for。 At the end of four months he escapes through a window and regains the obscurity from which he should Fascinating as a product of the 1930s。 You don't get history written like this anymore: "The last Director to be appointed to that office was General Moulins， a melancholy and quite undistinguished soldier。 Neither he nor anybody else ever understood why he was selected for this important position。 He stumbles into the pages of history， muttering gloomily， and wondering why he has been sent for。 At the end of four months he escapes through a window and regains the obscurity from which he should never have emerged。"It is a good reminder that this biography， like any other， is one view through a lens。 You can't quite trust everything in it。 But at the same time， you get a fascinating view of a really interesting character。Bottom line: Talleyrand was chaotic neutral -- dedicated to his ideals of peace in Europe， but not hung up on any particular rules for getting there， and not above organizing the Continent to benefit himself personally。 。。。more
Darren
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Very good biography of Talleyrand。 I'd read about him many times in other people's biographies but this was the first I'd read dedicated to him。 It was very well written and covered the highlights and didn't get bogged down in minutiae。 I'd highly recommend it to anyone wanted to understand the great diplomat but not read a dissertation on him。 Very good biography of Talleyrand。 I'd read about him many times in other people's biographies but this was the first I'd read dedicated to him。 It was very well written and covered the highlights and didn't get bogged down in minutiae。 I'd highly recommend it to anyone wanted to understand the great diplomat but not read a dissertation on him。 。。。more
Mikey B。
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I found this a rather peculiar biography。 The author is most worshipful of his subject – and very chauvinistic （it was written in the 1930s）。Talleyrand definitely lived during interesting times – the French Revolution， the Napoleonic era， and the post-Napoleonic era。 He was born in 1754 and died at the age of 84 in 1838。During the French Revolution Talleyrand fled to England and then to the United States。 The author never gives us any indication of the quality of Talleyrand’s ability with the En I found this a rather peculiar biography。 The author is most worshipful of his subject – and very chauvinistic （it was written in the 1930s）。Talleyrand definitely lived during interesting times – the French Revolution， the Napoleonic era， and the post-Napoleonic era。 He was born in 1754 and died at the age of 84 in 1838。During the French Revolution Talleyrand fled to England and then to the United States。 The author never gives us any indication of the quality of Talleyrand’s ability with the English language。Talleyrand was often the French Minister for Foreign Affairs。 We do get much on his character which could range from opaque to cutting witticisms。 He loved to play cards and as the author continually reminds us， he was very much the ladies’ man – even into his old age。 Today he would likely be considered a sexual predator。He managed not only to survive， but thrive， through many different forms of government （some of his compatriots were far less successful）。 He had various titles and the author confused me at times by referring to the current or past titles of Talleyrand （I thought I was reading of another individual）。 There is considerable name-dropping which irritated me。This is about the elites of Europe; there is nothing on how the majority of the populace lived in poverty and ignorance。 In the pages of this book， it would seem that the aristocracy never even thought of the vast destitution surrounding them as their carriages rolled by the streets where the heaving masses of struggling people lived。My interest in the book started to diminish after the end of the Napoleonic era。 。。。more
Adam Lines
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One of the best books I've read - Talleyrand was referred to by his contemporaries as "the last of the Giants"， and after reading this book， it would be difficult to overstate his influence on the modern world。 Coooer has produced an eloquent biography that contains everything you need to allow you to admire and understand Talleyrand， while ensuring you don't get bogged down in the details。 One of the best books I've read - Talleyrand was referred to by his contemporaries as "the last of the Giants"， and after reading this book， it would be difficult to overstate his influence on the modern world。 Coooer has produced an eloquent biography that contains everything you need to allow you to admire and understand Talleyrand， while ensuring you don't get bogged down in the details。 。。。more
Hans
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Fantastic view of the period from the French revolution to 1848。A short introduction to Napoleon and the creation of western european states like France， Belgium， the Netherlands。
Jay Mawicke
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Awesome historical figure！ His relations with Napoleon and the Bourbons are very interesting。 He certainly knew how to pull the political strings。
Melodie
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An old favorite book of JFK
Deryn Tang
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I have done a lot of reading on the period of history covered by the life of Talleyrand， but this is the first book that I could understand the real social history that was going on in the background。 The story of Talleyrand has put my emotions on a rollercoaster， did I like him or did I abhor him？ I will leave other readers to make up their own minds。 Those who are interested in French history and its impact on the rest of the world during and after the French Revolution will find this book hel I have done a lot of reading on the period of history covered by the life of Talleyrand， but this is the first book that I could understand the real social history that was going on in the background。 The story of Talleyrand has put my emotions on a rollercoaster， did I like him or did I abhor him？ I will leave other readers to make up their own minds。 Those who are interested in French history and its impact on the rest of the world during and after the French Revolution will find this book helpful in understanding the somewhat complex system the French had。 As I read some pages I felt I was readying today's newspapers - do we learn from history？ 。。。more
Liedzeit Liedzeit
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This was one of the first biographies I ever read。 Highly recommended by my teacher。 It is good， but not as good as it appeared to me nearly half a century ago。 For one thing， the book is too short。 490 pages in my edition but it seems as if everything is barely touched。 We get all the main events the Revolution the Restauration the 100 days。 But I did not get the feeling that I was witnessing history being made。Really satisfying were the last few chapters。 When comparatively not so much happene This was one of the first biographies I ever read。 Highly recommended by my teacher。 It is good， but not as good as it appeared to me nearly half a century ago。 For one thing， the book is too short。 490 pages in my edition but it seems as if everything is barely touched。 We get all the main events the Revolution the Restauration the 100 days。 But I did not get the feeling that I was witnessing history being made。Really satisfying were the last few chapters。 When comparatively not so much happened in his life。 Will the former bishop find his way back to church on his death bed？Maybe one should read a modern biography if there is one。7/10 。。。more
Jeremy Egerer
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Well written but largely forgettable。
Connor Pound
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If you are interested in the experiences of the French Revolution and the rise and fall of Napoleon， there are few more enlightening perspectives than Talleyrand’s and this book demonstrates that。 However， don’t make the mistake of thinking Talleyrand’s personal life can be separated from the times he lived in – they are inseparable at every point。 Going into this book you should be very familiar with the events and people of the period otherwise you will find yourself lost and scratching your h If you are interested in the experiences of the French Revolution and the rise and fall of Napoleon， there are few more enlightening perspectives than Talleyrand’s and this book demonstrates that。 However， don’t make the mistake of thinking Talleyrand’s personal life can be separated from the times he lived in – they are inseparable at every point。 Going into this book you should be very familiar with the events and people of the period otherwise you will find yourself lost and scratching your head in the continent's chaotic narrative。The book is most brilliant when dealing with two subjects: Talleyrand’s life and， somewhat inevitably， the foreign affairs of France。 On top of that you will be given a clear idea of what the French Revolution was from within: a series of events tied together by a few themes and people but， chiefly， a chaotic mess where nearly nothing goes according to anyone’s plan。 Talleyrand’s own role， always in the shadows， does a great deal to expunge revisionist conspiracy theories as he was one of the more brilliant plotters being frustrated at every juncture。Considering Bonapartism’s revival in France in the second half of the 19th century and the subsequent lack of unromantic perspectives of Napoleon， the book offers a very valuable， first-hand view of the Napoleonic period – perhaps even more so than Napoleon’s own。 Talleyrand was acquainted with Napoleon early in the general’s rise to prominence and had faith in the Corsican， but his trust is slowly eroded by the general’s failures – politically especially。 The war and death that followed in the footsteps of Napoleon are duly noted by a man dedicated to peace in Europe and intimately familiar with the continents politics and balance of powers。 Talleyrand's first-hand and critical account of people and events is a dream come true for historians。 I can't help but think many historical 'greats' would be thought much less of if Talleyrand-like contemporaries were able to record their thoughts too。 The exposing of Napoleon’s vices are not the only ones on show， however。 While the author is obviously attached to Talleyrand， he is quick to highlight and slow to defend the statesman’s vices – which have achieved a legendary status in modern history。 Corruption， hedonism， questionable judgement and even controversial events are all explained as per the primary facts available。 Of course， many of these don’t take away from why he is so respected as an attempted-guardian of peace in Europe。 The author probably could have spent even less words defending Talleyrand’s admittedly flexible attachment to peace in Europe and， owing to the facts of his life， most people would still appreciate that he was working for the greater good。The biggest mistake someone interested in this book could make is believing it is sufficient as an introductory text to the period。 It is a great companion to the era’s history but it will quickly overwhelm anyone unfamiliar with the times， with foreign affairs perhaps being the exception。 The book is chronological and shifts between hourly， daily， weekly， monthly and yearly accounts。 The sheer number of men and women Talleyrand encounter through this very long chronology means the reader will themselves be introduced to dozens of people， some of little consequence and some of incredibly importance。 Many of these will receive very little introduction and not recur。 This criticism should not be treated as minor， either。 The book would be considerably worse for someone unfamiliar with the period。 Loving Talleyrand， the Congress of Vienna or international diplomacy may not be sufficient to make this book enjoyable。The book is a fantastic resource on Talleyrand that offers a fresh perspective on the events and people of the period， if you are already acquainted。 。。。more
Vytautas Rimkus
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4。5/5I love biographies of extremely influential people that most of us outside of a very narrow specialist circle know nothing about。 A beautifully written story of one of the most impressive diplomats of 18/19 centuries who's legacy is still very much around， even if we are not aware of it。 Talleyrand's consistency in policy regardless of whether he was serving （or was he？） the Republic， Napoleon or Bourbons is admirable - above all， peace， stability and internal development as opposed to enla 4。5/5I love biographies of extremely influential people that most of us outside of a very narrow specialist circle know nothing about。 A beautifully written story of one of the most impressive diplomats of 18/19 centuries who's legacy is still very much around， even if we are not aware of it。 Talleyrand's consistency in policy regardless of whether he was serving （or was he？） the Republic， Napoleon or Bourbons is admirable - above all， peace， stability and internal development as opposed to enlargement of territories for the sake of it。 He was a visionary beyond his era。 It was also insightful to read about the tremendous work that he has done to restore Poland as a continental power in some shape or form after the partition as a necessary counterbalance in the region between the other great powers of the time。A little 0。5 down because the book has aged slightly - some historical figures and facts obscure for a contemporary non-specialist are introduced as common knowledge。 Also， quite a few French phrases aren't translated。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Talleyrand
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Talleyrand&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Talleyrand&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0