I am an experienced reader of history. Mr. Dallas' work is indeed meticulously documented, but that very meticulosity renders his story line exceedingly difficult to follow. Most of the book attempts to help the reader understand the antecedents of Waterloo through the Congress of Vienna. The account of the Congress was disjointed. Characters were introduced with little context.

The description of Waterloo itself seemed to me to be a very short leap preceeded by far too long a run.

I just didn't like the book. It did not capture my interest and drag me to the end . . . it was a tough slog.

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.

"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.