Napoleon's Master: A Life of Prince Talleyrand [Hardcover]

David Lawday (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 13, 2007

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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Charles-Maurice de Tallyrand-Perigord (1754–1838) was a diplomat for all regimes. He had major French governmental posts, including brief stints as prime minister, for nearly four decades: during the post-terror phase of the French Revolution and then under Napoleon and the Bourbon King Louis XVIII. As portrayed by Lawday, a former correspondent for the Economist, Talleyrand was a womanizer (he and Gouverneur Morris, then the American ambassador to Paris, competed for the same mistress) and a money-grubber, with a certain aristocratic hauteur. Yet Tallyrand was gifted at diplomacy: he was patient, an exceptional listener and, most important, a conciliator. Having had an exceptionally close relationship with Napoleon, he came to staunchly oppose the emperor's insatiable ambition and even committed near-treason in his complicity with Austria and Russia against Napoleon. Lawday devotes appropriate space to Talleyrand's finest moment, the 1815 Congress of Vienna, where his skills steered the assembled diplomats to allowing France to remain an integral part of the concert of Europe. Though comprehensive and quite good, Lawday's biography is long on narrative, hewing closely to the details of Tallyrand's unfolding life, but short on analyses of Tallyrand's choices and of the broader French and European contexts in which he acted. 8 pages of b&w photos; maps. (Nov.)
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Review

"Swift, informed and literate."
---Kirkus Reviews

"Comprehensive and quite good."
---Publishers Weekly

"Yields insight . . . Lawday gives good account of Talleyrand's languid and imperturbable personality and throws light on his keen sense of political weather. Delivers complete coverage, stocking and all, of Talleyrand's remarkable, controversial career."
---Booklist

“A marvelous biography.”
---The Daily Telegraph (UK)

“A fast-moving romp through Talleyrand’s life, engagingly admiring of its subjects and appreciative of his many qualities.”
---The Sunday Telegraph (UK)

“Entertaining . . . strangely touching . . . tells of the extraordinary life of a politician who managed to survive and prosper through revolution, empire, restoration, empire, restoration, and revolution again.”
---The Scotsman (UK)

“Alive with the world of the Paris salon and the glittering connections of a most sociable diplomat . . . David Lawday is an ideal biographer of Talleyrand.”
---The Economist (UK)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books (November 13, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312372973
• ISBN-13: 978-0312372972
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,092,895 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Napoleon's Master, March 31, 2008

By 

P. Wetmore (Tampa, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Napoleon's Master: A Life of Prince Talleyrand (Hardcover)

A sympathetic biography of a statesman who was involved in French politics during the more interesting periods of that nation's history: the ancien regime, French Revolution, Directory, Napoleonic era, and restoration.

Charles Maurice de Talleyrand (1754-1838) was a controversial figure (arch betrayer or practical patriot, depending on one's viewpoint) who served his country in a diplomatic manner during the tumultuous periods listed above.

David Lawday's book provides the English reader with the relevant facts presented in a basically chronological manner. Many of Talleyrands's bons mots and anecdotes are included, and Mr. Lawday captures some of the statesman's style in his own prose.

Other books, such as those written by Duff Cooper (Talleyrand) and Crane Britton (The Lives of Talleyrand), deal with the life of the statesman, but Lawday's book focuses on the pivotal relationship he had with Napoleon Bonaparte. Talleyrand helped to foster the career of the young Corsican, encouraged Napoleon's autocratic leanings, but ultimately opposed the emperor's expansionist foreign policy. The dispute over France's place in European affairs eventually led to a conflict where Talleyrand supported Napoleon's foreign adversaries. Furthermore, after Bonaparte's military defeat and exile, Talleyrand encouraged the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy as a preferable alternative. Yet Lawday emphasizes the mutual respect and admiration that both men had for each other throughout their interwoven lives.

Napoleon's Master is a well-written, well researched book that can be enjoyed by those interested in French history, biography, diplomatic history, and political intrigue.

Paul W.

18 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not quite there, April 25, 2008

By 

James V. Maclean "macmel" (Lansing, MI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Napoleon's Master: A Life of Prince Talleyrand (Hardcover)

I have been fascinated with Talleyrand since reading Duff Cooper's biography on Talleyrand when I was in college. I look forward to a new biography on Talleyrand because Cooper's biography is a bit dated. I have to admit I was disappointed in Lawday's treatment of Talleyrand, not because he was overly harsh; rather he seemed to have lost his objectivity concerning the subject of the biography. Talleyrand was an opportunist, slimy and lacking a moral compass. He was guilty of high treason, even though he claimed, to be a patriot protecting France from Napoleon. It is still treason, why, because he was serving in the Government. He refused no monies or awards offered to him by Napoleon. One interesting aspect is that at one point, Talleyrand was soliciting funds from Alexander I. Could you imagine the uproars if a former US Secretary of State was soliciting fund from Putin to pay off their debts. Read "Rites of Peace" by Adam Zamoyski to obtain an unbiased view of Talleyrand. Is this a bad book, no, it is a very entertaining read. In the final analysis Talley was not the patriot. Lawday makes him out to be, nor was Napoleon the buffoon that was portrayed in the book. I anxiously a wait "Talleyrand: Betrayer and Saviour of France" by Robin Harris to see another version of Talleyrand's life.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fabulous book, January 28, 2008

By 

Sigrid Olsen (Salem, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Napoleon's Master: A Life of Prince Talleyrand (Hardcover)

I am writing this review on a fantastic book, and I'm not finished reading it. I expect to finish it within the next 24 hours, and can hardly put the book down. For years I've been intrigued by Talleyrand, but never bothered to delve further into his life. I concentrated, like many others, on Napoleon. However, this book changes my opinion of Napoleon, and turns Talleyrand into less of a "rascally fellow," but rather an astute politician diplomat who shaped the world from the French Revolution to today. The author quotes from primary sources (Napoleon and Talleyrand's words) and both have a contemporary feel. In fact, I've been making notes on Talleyrand's advice and social skills as he managed in difficult diplomatic times There are many scenes that the author includes--Talleyrand's putting up the deposed Spanish Royal family, and trying to get the young princes to "read," and his intriguing trip to America and a backwoods trip to upstate New York. Talleyrand was everywhere and saw almost everything. Even Napoleon regretted not taking his astute advice. Yet, at the heart of the man was his love of France, concern for Europe's balance of power, and peace.