Prince of Europe

"Prince Charles-Joseph de Ligne has the paradoxical reputation of being both famous and little known. He was a Renaissance man in Enlightenment Europe: a grand aristocrat, a talented general, a provocative writer, a brilliant conversationalist, a great garden lover, a moralist and a memoirist. His desire for military glory and literary fame was as great as his appetite for lovers." "The Prince de Ligne witnessed the fall of Napoleon, who fascinated him but whom he refused to meet. He died during the Congress of Vienna, which redrew the map of Europe to the accompaniment of balls and intrigues." "Though sometimes neglected in Britain, Ligne has remained a popular historical figure in Europe. As the continent moves towards greater integration, Philip Mansel has produced a colourful and timely biography of this effortless European - a man for our time."--Jacket