At the Heart of a Tiger: Clemenceau and His World, 1841-1929

"At the Heart of a Tiger: Clemenceau and His World 1841-1929" by Gregor Dallas is a passionate epic of the life of one of the most enigmatic statements of the 3rd Republic. Georges Clemenceau, a medical doctor, a journalist, radical member of the assembly, passionate defender of France's honor during the Dreyfus affair, turned as a Prime Minister in power extremely tough and conservative, a supreme war leader who suppressed freedom of speech and whose iron will helped France to endure the Spring offensive of 1918 and finally win the WWI. Clemenceau is a friend of Monet, lover of fine things in life, passionate believer in truth but foremost a French patriot. Clemenceau uncompromising position during the negotiation of the treaty of Versallies, as an elderly statesman having nothing to loose but the honor of his country, helped protect French security, but ultimately failed to produce a workable solution based on any balance of power.Gregor Dallas style and the translation preserves the flowery nature of French language and feeling. Dallas is at his best when he describes the emotions behind the human decision making, not necessarily when at rational interpretation of history. From little we can know about the private life of the extremely secretive man who burned most of his private correspondence, Dallas manages to extrapolate from in truly incontradictory way. Although 600 pages, a book is an easy and enjoyable read. Not entirely a scholarly treatise, but not a subjective biography either.