"Like most of those who study history, he (Napoleon III) learned from the mistakes of the past how to make new ones"

This quote by A. J. P. Taylor is a commentary on the cyclical nature of history. It suggests that, regardless of the reality that people frequently study history in order to gain from the errors of the past, they frequently end up duplicating those very same errors. In this case, Taylor is particularly referring to Napoleon III, who in spite of studying history, was not able to gain from the mistakes of the past and rather made new ones. This quote indicates that history is doomed to repeat itself, as people are unable to gain from the errors of the past and instead make brand-new ones. It is a reminder that, regardless of our best efforts, we are often not able to break the cycle of history.