18 h 9 minAudiobook7 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What do powerful people reveal across a dinner table when they think no one is taking notes?
Dorothea, Duchesse de Dino, runs the household of her husband's uncle, Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand. Born into the ruling family of Courland and married into the French Talleyrands, she watches ministers, ambassadors, princes and priests at close range. Her diary brings you into rooms where public power meets private manners.
Covering 1836 to 1840, these memoirs follow the ageing Talleyrand and the July Monarchy under Louis-Philippe. The duchesse records visits, snubs, rumours and quarrels with a sharp eye and frequent wit. This is history as she encounters it each day: personal, uneven, and shaped by her own moods and loyalties.
What you’ll discover
- Power across the table Meet ministers and ambassadors through the hostess who sees them beyond their public roles.
- Talleyrand at close range Watch the ageing statesman through the daily observations of his close companion and hostess.
- A monarchy in motion Explore Louis-Philippe's July Monarchy through the duchesse's record of Paris politics and society.
- Wit among the powerful Notice the calls, slights and unguarded remarks that give these pages their sharp humour.
- History with a viewpoint Read a diary that preserves one woman's judgments, rather than a tidy account of events.
Who will love it
For readers who love the inside view of history, with its dinners, rumours and quarrels, and the French and German court life. A diary for anyone drawn to diplomacy, family, faith and sharp portraits of people in power.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A diarist placed at the center
- Talleyrand grows old in public
- Louis-Philippe and the politics of Paris
- The death of the old statesman
- Life after Talleyrand
- How to read the memoirs today
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet or computer, once the book texts are online.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, once the book texts are online.
- Audiobook
- Read by Lucas Linden, complete. It opens once the recording is online.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 7 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout. The eBook and the audiobook open when the book texts go online.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then 0,14 USD a day in your first year on the yearly plan and 0,27 USD a day after, or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
Mémoires de la Duchesse de Dino, 1836–1840
At Talleyrand's dinner table, the duchesse records how diplomacy, family and rank shape power.
Medium level10–20 hours to readfrançais
Excellent
- Read or listen
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then 0,14 USD a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
In short
Dorothea, Duchesse de Dino, was born into the ruling family of Courland and married into the French Talleyrands. For years she ran the household of her husband's uncle, the statesman Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A diarist placed at the center
The Duchesse de Dino was not an outside observer. She was born in 1793 into the family of the Dukes of Courland, a Baltic territory tied to the Russian crown. She married Edmond de Talleyrand-Périgord, nephew of the famous statesman, and in time she became the mistress of his household in all but name. Her marriage to Edmond was not a happy one, and she spent much of her life in the circle of the older man.
This position gave her rare access. She stood beside Talleyrand at receptions, wrote his letters on occasion, and sat in on talks with visitors. When he served as French ambassador in London in the early 1830s, she had already learned how to run a political salon. Her connections reach into political and court circles in Paris, Berlin and Vienna.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
You looked at
Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 7 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- Language
- français
- Level
- Medium level
Free gifts
580 USD in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
170 USDFREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
120 USDFREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
60 USDFREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
60 USDFREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
170 USDFREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about Mémoires de la Duchesse de Dino, 1836–1840
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What are the Memoirs of the Duchesse de Dino about?
They are the diary of a woman close to Talleyrand, covering 1836 to 1840. They record his last years, the court and ministers of Louis-Philippe, and her own life among the French and German aristocracy.
Who was the Duchesse de Dino?
She was Dorothea von Biron, born into the ruling family of Courland. She married Talleyrand's nephew, became the hostess of his household, and moved among the leading political circles of France, Britain and Germany.
What was her relationship to Talleyrand?
She was his nephew's wife, but she lived at the center of his household and acted as his hostess and confidante. She was with him at the end of his life in 1838.
The author
Duchesse de Dino
1793–1862 · German noblewoman and memoirist
Dorothea von Biron, known as the Duchesse de Dino, was born in Berlin in 1793. She was a noblewoman who lived in France and Prussia. She wrote journals and memoirs, including accounts of the years 1836–1840. These were published after her death. She died in Sagan in 1862.
More like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
