The Third Lion: A Novel about Talleyrand [Paperback]

Floyd Kemske (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1997

Talleyrand, one of history's most vilified and unprincipled men, is also one of its most civilized. This Machiavellian statesman helped make and break both the French Revolution and Napoleon. The Third Lion captures his essence.

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

Kemske, best known for his quirky takes on latter-day organization men (Human Resources, 1995, etc.), smoothly shifts gears to deliver a wryly engrossing historical novel featuring the duplicitous French statesman Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand- P‚rigord. Cast in the form of a deathbed memoir, the deadpan narrative has Talleyrand looking back without evident regret on the high points of his long and eventful life. Although the elder son of a count, he is disinherited in favor of a younger brother (because of a club foot) and trained for a career in the church. While at the seminary, the unfailingly polite Talleyrand has an instructive affair with an actress, which stands him in good stead when his family summons him to court for the coronation of Louis XVI. Having made an enduring impression on the distaff side of the nobility and having met Voltaire, he secures a benefice that ensures him of financial independence. Come the revolution, the adaptable cleric turns on his masters and is subsequently excommunicated. Undaunted, he goes on to survive an extended exile in England and America, returning to Paris to be appointed the Directoire's foreign minister in 1797. With a weather eye on the main chance, the cynical Talleyrand recognizes Napoleon's talents early on and provides behind-the-scenes support for his bid to become emperor. Eventually, he turns on the Corsican usurper and plots his ouster, albeit not before capitalizing on an insider's knowledge of likely administrative actions to make several killings on the bourse. In Paris during the spring of 1814, the unprincipled old pol heads the provisional government welcoming the coalition that has finally bested Bonaparte on the battlefield. An offbeat account of a world-class rogue from yesteryear, whose ingratiating civility and utter lack of scruples helped him leave large footprints on the sands of time. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Floyd Kemske is the author of five novels. He lives in Pepperell, Massachusetts.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Catbird Press; 1st edition (October 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0945774370
• ISBN-13: 978-0945774372
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,652,916 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Captures the essence of this statesman., February 22, 2000

By 

Rusty Greenland (Virginia Beach, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Third Lion: A Novel about Talleyrand (Paperback)

This is an outstanding historical novel and is one of the best of its genre. Mr. Kemske captures the essence of Prince Talleyrand and distills it into a novel of manageable length. Few works of non-fiction about Talleyrand exist. Much of "The Ruin of Kasch" by Roberto Calasso is about him, as is the excellent "Congress of Vienna" by Sir Harold Nicolson. This is an excellent complement to those two works of non-fiction. See how Prince Talleyrand preserved France from spoilation by its enemies from within and without. This is a classy book, as classy as its subject.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Historical Picaresque Novel, August 31, 2001

By 

Stephen M. Kerwick (Wichita, KS United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Third Lion: A Novel about Talleyrand (Paperback)

For me, Talleyrand is one of the most fascinating characters in history, as changing as the weather, more venal than today's politicians and as intelligent and perceptive as Aristotle. One might liken him to a Bill Clinton without either the populism or the personal magnetism. By and large, Talleyrand is treated with contempt by both his contemporaries (Napoleon described him as a silk stocking full of number two) and historians, with a few exceptions (Wellington considered him the most consistent, effective and far-sighted proponent of France's interests at the Congress of Vienna and afterwards). Nonetheless he is a figure of the first importance in history and a participant or nearby witness to the key events for two generations of European history. What Kemske's novel does best is to acquaint the reader with Talleyrand's background, his motivations and his justifications (not always persuasive ones). To that extent, it is an exceptional piece of historical fiction and a bit of fun to read as well.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars amateurish, as author put it: I had to reach deep for this one, August 6, 2008

By 

S. Brinton (Long Beach, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Third Lion: A Novel about Talleyrand (Paperback)

As the author put it: "I had to reach deep for this one". In reality, over his head. The reviews that rate this high are to me questionable. This book went right to the trash can. "Amateurish" is the best description.