Talleyrand

De: Duff Cooper

Narrado por: Leighton Pugh

In the tumultuous world of revolutionary France, the enigmatic diplomat Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord survived–and shaped–five regimes. Duff Cooper’s elegant biography reveals a man as brilliant as he was controversial; the ‘quick-witted little boy’ who enjoyed the anachronistic world of his great-grandmother’s château became the shrewd, silver-tongued servant of multiple kings and revolutionary leaders. From the salons of pre-revolutionary Paris to the negotiating tables of Napoleon and the Congress of Vienna, the turncoat Talleyrand exercised his wit, pragmatism and moral ambiguity. Was he a self-serving survivor or a principled architect of peace? His story, told here with rich contextual detail and a light, entertaining touch, exemplifies the enduring art of diplomacy.

Duff Cooper (1890-1954), politician, diplomat and political historian, was Ambassador to France during WWII.

Public Domain (P)2025 Naxos AudioBooks UK Ltd.

Delightful biography

If you love the web of international diplomacy that spans from the late 1700s through to the middle 1800s, you’ll thoroughly enjoy this biography of the man at the center of that web.

Brilliantly performed and a very easy listen. It’s packed with anecdotes, and stories. While things move quickly—the July monarchy is established in minutes, for instance—it still satisfies. Will certainly relisten.