Charles Talleyrand was born an aristocrat and would have been known as Prince Talleyrand except that custom prevented a cripple from inheriting his father's title. To make up for his physical defect, young Charles decided to become powerful, rich and superior to all around him. He succeeded far beyond his own dreams as a statesman and a diplomat.

Appointed Foreign Minister of France, he hitched his career to the rising fortunes of Napoleon Bonaparte and helped shape the policies that made Napoleon Emperor of France. The XYZ Affair, which resulted in an undeclared war between the United States and France, was provoked by Talleyrand; later he negotiated the sale of the Louisiana Territory to the United States. He tried to prevent Napoleon from invading Russia and when disaster struck, it was Talleyrand who dictated the terms of Napoleon's banishment.

With the monarchy restored, he represented his defeated country at the Congress of Vienna where he scored his greatest diplomatic triumphs. Shrewdly exploiting the dissension among the allies, he succeeded in saving the boundaries of France.

Talleyrand lived to be eighty-four and during his lifetime was either exalted as the savior of Europe or accused of treachery. His corruption was undeniable and his chameleon nature enabled him to hold power regardless of who ruled. Serving as an important link between the old world and the world that gave birth to democracies of Europe, his policies were aimed consistently—and often courageously—at the peace and stability of Europe as a whole. He lived through dramatic historical changes and was himself an important part of the world he helped change.

From the book