VIENNA 1814 How the Conquerors of Napoleon Made Love, War and Peace at the Congress of Vienna

After 12 years of the Napoleonic Wars, the monarchs and ministers of Europe met in Vienna in 1814 to slice up the territorial pie. In a months-long circus of intercourse, intrigue, balls, banquets, and nefarious negotiations, lands were played for like pieces on a chess board. At first, narrator Mel Foster's hesitant speech seems stilted, but his exceptional skill with French and German exposes a broad linguistic strength. With time he relaxes and lets the raucous proceedings take the spotlight, enjoying himself with the occasional poetry. Since the author's attributions make the sources of quotations clear, Foster needn't use any accent or theatrical character. The extensive lesson in geography, politics, history, and biography would satisfy anyone's desire to learn more about this event. J.A.H. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2008]