Joseph-Alphones de Véri was one of the most powerful political figures in the decades leading up to the French Revolution. As the confidant of Louis XVI’s primary advisor, Maurepas, de Véri participated in the French court and political scene, all the while keeping a perspicacious and acerbic personal journal of his experiences and observations. The present critical edition of his journal offers readers one of the most interesting sources for understanding French and international politics on the eve of the Revolution.