Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand, 1754-1838: A Bibliography

Ever since Talleyrand assumed a prominent role during the opening stages of the French Revolution, his intentions and motivations have been the subject of heated debate. His detractors have poured a torrent of hostile criticism on him, and it is only recently that a favourable trend toward him has become discernible. The book demonstrates that the debate over his achievements and merits is far from over. The volume opens with a chronology of Talleyrand’s life and an introduction summarising the salient points in his career and pointing to apparent discrepancies in the Talleyrand historiography. The initial section describes the most important archival sources available in France and other countries. The second section covers Talleyrand’s own publications, his parliamentary interventions and his correspondence. Contemporary pamphlets and books, many critical of Talleyrand’s secularisation of Church property, are covered in the third section. The final section include works written about Talleyrand since his death as well as on topics related to him, such as his women and children, his portrayal in art and literature, and a list of drawings and lithographs dedicated to him.