Final ACT

Congress of Vienna is always obscured by the Battle of Waterloo, probably the most overrated of all events in world's history. The diplomatic conference held in Austrian capital few months earlier, although less spectacular than Napoleon's last battle, had more lasting impact on the future of Europe. While political and diplomatic intrigues might not arouse readers' imagination with same intensity as the drama that unfolded in Belgian battlefields, book by Gregor Dallas actually turns out to be not only very informative but also a very exciting and entertaining read. Mr. Dallas approaches this subject by putting the Congress in the broader context of early 19th Century Europe and treating the conference as nothing more than a chapter in the story that began with Napoleon's abdication in Spring of 1814. Diplomatic drama that occurred in Vienna is accompanied with short biographies of all major participants, as well as numerous vignettes, anecdotes and accounts of economic, social and political conditions in major European capitals. The well-known protagonists of these events - Alexander, Metternich, Castlereagh, Talleyrand and Napoleon - are portrayed with great deal of detail, but even the minor or less known characters receive the same treatment. Love life of European elite is given the same attention as the diplomatic intrigues, and in many ways reader, as well as the characters, can't make a clear distinction between the two. In segments that deal with British internal politics reader might even find some interesting parallels with most recent events in Britain, thus making this book much closer to the modern audience than its subject might indicate. Because of all that, this book is not only very informative, but also very entertaining and exciting. However, at times a reader might get impression that British politics and British personalities receive too much attention at the expense of rest of Europe. I was also somewhat disappointed when I didn't find the actual text of the treaty. However, despite those minor flaws this book is a must-read for anyone interested in early 19th Century Europe or foundations of modern diplomacy.

Though the abdication, exile, return and ultimate fall of Napoleon is well covered by a vast range of both popular and scholarly histories, less is available to the general reader on the political and diplomatic manoeuvrings of 1814-15, usually under the generic title of "The Congress of Vienna." This colourful historical narrative, which is enlivened with countless vignettes and anecdotes, brings the whole period to life. While Napoleon, for once, is a mainly background figure, albeit a menacing one, three larger than life characters dominate the story - Metternich, Tallyrand and Alexander I - but it is to Mr.Dallas's credit that he breathes life and interest into the fourth main player, Castlereagh, a much less charismatic personality. The secondary cast includes Britain's Prince Regent, France's Louis XVIII, the monarchs of Prussia and Austria, Wellington and Blucher, Austria's spy-network (with the ace spy still today identified only as "**"" ),a host of mistresses and courtesans (often closely related, despite differing political affiliations) and a plethora of diplomats, while the walk-ons range from Ludwig van Beethoven to minor Austrian civil servants. A surprise is the extent to which the gouty and corpulent Louis XVIII, briefly returned from his travels, only to be sent packing again within months, emerges as curiously attractive and sympathetic. As in his splendid biography of Clemanceau, Mr.Dallas excels in breathing life and interest into bygone crises - notably, in this case, the near collision between Austria, Priussia and Russia over the fate of Saxon. A particular triumph of the book is the extent to which the climax of Waterloo is not allowed to dominate the narrative to the detriment of less well-known events. For the general reader interested in the Napoleon period this book is indeed a treat - highly recommended.

Dallas' version of the events leading to the fall of Napoleon, particularly the Congress of Vienna, are presented in detail here with remarkable clarity. Also, his accounts of the British Parliment's opposition to Wellington's and Castlereagh's policies are given new light. Samuel Whitbread's fall from grace is both startling and revelatory and precedes Castlereagh's own horrible end. The cunning and ruthless Talleyrand and his ally, Fouche, are always lurking in the shadows, switching from one side to the other depending on the circumstances. According to Dallas' "Final Act", it's a wonder that Napoleon could function at all with this cast of characters swirling over his head like vultures. An excellent work for anyone interested in Napoleon's final one-hundred days.

It would be difficult to praise this book more highly than it deserves. The material that Dallas takes it upon himself to cover is broad and complicated -- the political and diplomatic history of several nations, of course, as well as military, social, and economic material as it bears upon those central issues. Yet Dallas pulls it all off, and makes us care, too, about the personal frailties of the "rich and famous" of Europe almost two centuries ago. The personalities that stuck most to my mind as I closed this book were not quite those of the "headliners" whose names we all remember from school -- Napoleon, Talleyrand, Castlereagh -- though they all get their due. The figures who stick most to my mind are those of the Duchess von Sagan, Benjamin Constant, and Samuel Whitbread. Dallas illustrates a truth sometimes forgotten, that the novelistic touch in the portrayal of character is a great gift for a historian.

The book reads as if the congress of Vienna happened yesterday. The writer vividly paints a picture of all the players' characters. As well as descriptive characters, he also describes the big picture behind each country's strategies. The descriptions of the players' private lives were very entertaining as well!