Talleyrand- The Man Who Bested Napoleon?
Good overview of the remarkable career of French Foreign Minister (and diplomatic superstar) Talleyrand. Though controversial due to his multiple affairs and willingness to change horses whenever he deemed it necessary, the same man who helped conspire to bring Napoleon power would also conspire to bring back the Bourbon Dynasty the French Revolution (and, subsequently, Napoleon) had overthrown and kept away from the crown.
Along with Cardinal Richeliu, Talleyrand is an exemplar of realpolitik and how to balance the imperatives of one's nation at any given moment in time with its actual position relative to other powers.
I also thought that beyond the useful information on Talleyrand, this observation on Napoleon to be interesting, perhaps perceptive:
"Only after the punitive Peace of Pressburg, at the end of 1805, was Talleyrand convinced that Napoleon's ambitions were unlimited and perilous. But, as the historian Paul Schroeder argues, All efforts to find some point in Napoleon's career at which he turned wrong or went too far are misguided. His whole character and career were fundamentally wrong; he always went too far."
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