The Congress Dances. Vienna 1814-1815

London England: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1984. Hardback. First Edition. The Congress Dances. Previous owners ex libris name sticker to inside cover. Very slight shelf wear to edge of D/J. The Congress of Vienna met in 1814 to build a new Europe following the defeat of Napoleon. It was dominated by four remarkable men: Metternich, Talleyrand, Castlereagh and Alexander I of Eussia. As well as portraying the delicate and dangerous diplomatic manoeuvring during the nine months of the conference, the author also goes behind the scenes to tell the engrossing story of the private lives of the protagonists. In no other international gathering in history have women so substantially influenced events. Three beautiful women were loved by the great men at the congress; all three were as keenly political as they were glamorous. The book's title is taken from the Prince de Ligne's famous remark, 'The Congress doesn't advance, it dances', and the author vividly recreates the atmosphere of elegant hedonism that reigned in Vienna. The narrative is fast-paced, the research thorough and the book admirably illustrated. With 8 pages of photographs. 228 pp. (We carry a wide selection of titles in The Arts, Theology, History, Politics, Social and Physical Sciences. academic and scholarly books and Modern First Editions, Reference books ,and all types of Academic Literature.) . First Edition. Cloth. Very Good/Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" Tall Octavo. Hardback.