Private and Secret is the story of espionage, spies, counter-terrorism, deft diplomacy and intrigue at the highest political level Private and Secret tells the story of Charles Stuart, one of the most effective spies of the nineteen century. Born in 1779, educated at Oxford and widely travelled throughout Europe, Charles had an excellent grounding for his career in foreign affairs. Franklin's extensive research, using published and unpublished material, effectively details Charles' work on the Continent during the Napoleonic Wars and the unsettled period that followed. As his story develops, Charles was suspected, not without reason, of using his diplomatic status for his own ends and the advancement of his friends. One of his most extraordinary assignments was to secretly 'coach' the exiled King of France in the art of constitutional monarchy, in preparation for his restoration after the Battle of Waterloo. A fascinating read for anyone interested in the period - who needs a historical novel when you can have the real thing?