Overview

1815 was the year of Waterloo, the British victory that ended Napoleon's European ambitions and ushered in a century of peace for Britain. But what sort of country were Wellington's troops fighting for? And what kind of society did they return to? Overseas, the bounds of Empire were expanding; at home the population endured the chill of economic recession. As Jane Austen busied herself with the writing of Emma, John Nash designed Regent Street and Lord's cricket ground held its first match in St John's Wood, a nervous government infiltrated dissident political movements and resorted to repressive legislation to curb free speech. Interweaving first-hand accounts of personal experiences with the major trends and events of a momentous twelve months, Year of Waterloo offers a richly engrossing picture of a year that resonates to a surprising degree with the Britain of today.

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9781781858233

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Reviews

'A wonderful whistle-stop tour of gambling, sport, literature and science, from Jane Austen to Humphrey Davy' The Good Book Guide. 'Full of juicy anecdotes and broad-brush characterisations. The narrative is exuberant and informal, but there's enough serious stuff here to make it educational as well as entertaining ... enthralling' The Tablet. 'This very entertaining portrait of Britain exactly 200 years ago is made especially enjoyable by the author's persistent penchant for picking out entertaining and unlikely detail ... Bates writes in a beguiling way' Glasgow Herald. 'Bates offers a portrait of the country in a pivotal year: that of Waterloo. The result is refreshingly kaleidoscopic. His climactic summary of the battle is the best thing about it' The Sunday Telegraph. 'An illuminating portrayal of a pivotal year for the nation' The Daily Telegraph. 'The story, powerfully told, of a year that left behind it a sense that the world had changed, and changed irrevocably' David McKie, author of Bright Particular Stars. '1815 is both panoramic in scope and wonderfully readable. It brings an entire age triumphantly to life' Lucy Lethbridge, author of Servants. 'Battles, balls, Byron, and the birth of modern history - Stephen Bates chronicles them all with insight, wit and grace' Robert Lacey, co-author of The Year 1000. 'A capacious, illuminating and thickly populated portrait of Britain in a year of drama that marked the end of one era and the start of another' David Kynaston, author of Modernity Britain.

'A capacious, illuminating and thickly populated portrait of Britain in a year of drama that marked the end of one era and the start of another' David Kynaston, author of Modernity Britain. 'Battles, balls, Byron, and the birth of modern history - Stephen Bates chronicles them all with insight, wit and grace' Robert Lacey, co-author of The Year 1000. '1815 is both panoramic in scope and wonderfully readable. It brings an entire age triumphantly to life' Lucy Lethbridge, author of Servants. 'The story, powerfully told, of a year that left behind it a sense that the world had changed, and changed irrevocably' David McKie, author of Bright Particular Stars. 'An illuminating portrayal of a pivotal year for the nation' The Daily Telegraph. 'Bates offers a portrait of the country in a pivotal year: that of Waterloo. The result is refreshingly kaleidoscopic. His climactic summary of the battle is the best thing about it' The Sunday Telegraph. 'This very entertaining portrait of Britain exactly 200 years ago is made especially enjoyable by the author's persistent penchant for picking out entertaining and unlikely detail ... Bates writes in a beguiling way' Glasgow Herald. 'Full of juicy anecdotes and broad-brush characterisations. The narrative is exuberant and informal, but there's enough serious stuff here to make it educational as well as entertaining ... enthralling' The Tablet. 'A wonderful whistle-stop tour of gambling, sport, literature and science, from Jane Austen to Humphrey Davy' The Good Book Guide.

Author Information

Stephen Bates is a former religious and royal affairs correspondent of the Guardian. He is the author of A CHURCH AT WAR (2004), GOD'S OWN COUNTRY (2008) and PENNY LOAVES AND BUTTER CHEAP: BRITAIN IN 1846 (2013).

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