The Final Act: The Roads to Waterloo
by By Dallas, Gregor
Category: History , Modern , 19th Century

The inside front and backcover illustration of European power players prancing about parallels the intricate dance of nations played at the 1814-15 Congress of Vienna. With its stellar cast of all the rulers who mattered at the time except the exiled Napoleon Bonaparte, writer Gregor Dallas narrates the melodramatic history of this pivotal diplomatic event ostensibly to restore "the natural order"of Europe while each leader jockeyed for power, disputed territories, and attacked emerging liberalism.  Key players included Tsar Alexander, Tallyrand, Wellington, and Mellernich with a supporting cast of mistresses, spies, other rogues, and Beethoven. Napoleon, of course, was to challenge them anew at Waterloo.  Quaint b&w illustrations. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.