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Fiction. Romance. Historical Fiction. HTML: On the eve of battle, passions are running high... "A brilliant achievement...vivid, accurate, dramatic...the description of Waterloo is magnificent." �??DAILY MAIL "My favorite historical novelist." �??MARGARET DRABBLE IN THE SUMMER OF 1815, with Napolean Bonaparte marching down from the north, Brussels is a whirlwind of parties, balls and soirees. In the swirling social scene surrounding the Duke of Wellington and his noble aides de camp, no one attracts more attention than the beautiful, outrageous young widow Lady Barbara Childe. On their first meeting, dashing Colonel Charles Audley proposes to her, but even their betrothal doesn't calm her wild behavior. Finally, with the Battle of Waterloo raging just miles away, civilians fleeing and the wounded pouring back into the town, Lady Barbara discovers where her heart really lies, and like a true noblewoman, she rises to the occasion, and to the demands of love, life and war... "Wonderful characters, elegant, witty writing, perfect period detail, and rapturously romantic. Georgette Heyer achieves what the rest of us only aspire to." �??KATIE FF… (more)
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When the dashing widow Lady Barbara Childe inexplicably falls in love with a poor staff officer, Charles Audley, their acquaintances immediately start betting on how quickly the engagement will be broken. Lady Barbara, or "Bab," has been dancing on the line of respectability ever since her much-older husband died, and delights in shocking society with her daring outfits and outrageous flirtations. Even after her engagement, Bab continues her inappropriate behavior and makes herself the talk of the town. Audley's friends and family want him to break off the engagement, but he is determined not to.
Barbara Childe is one of Heyer's saucy bad girls, but I appreciated the depth imparted to a character type so easily stereotyped. Bab does sincerely love her staff officer, but at the same time she is afraid of the commitment of an engagement... her first marriage was not a happy one. Under all the flirtations and banter Bab is involved in a profound inner battle, behaving in ways calculated to drive her lover away and prove to herself that it was all a mistake after all. All her wild escapades are really coming out of her private pain and disillusionment. Charles from the first understands this, and his response is fascinating because it invites the question of what he is really thinking and feeling.
There's less froth and fun in this story than in most of the other Heyer books I've read. Bab almost ruins another woman's marriage out of sheer revenge for a public slight, and though they escape with their marriage intact, there are consequences that will last a lifetime. And of course there are many dark moments on the battlefield and when the wounded start flooding the streets of Brussels, where they are tended by commoners and fine ladies alike. Against this backdrop of death and carnage, Bab finally understands her own heart... just when it seems too late.
Much of the novel is devoted to the Duke of Wellington, and Heyer's incredible research is evident in the many descriptions of the man and the quotes from his letters that she entwines with the narrative. Indeed, the novel's title is Wellington's opinion of the troops assembled to engage the newly returned Emperor.
I love historical novels, but for some reason I found the long descriptions of the battle a bit tedious. Unfortunately the historical aspect of the novel takes over the plot, and though the characters have great potential and some brilliant moments, they are ultimately underdeveloped (Charles Audley especially). I enjoyed this book, but I'd caution Heyer's fans that this is a novel to be read for the historical setting, not the love story.
Heyer readers will instantly recognize in Lady Barbara's grandparents the characters of Dominic and Mary, whose adventures are detailed in Devil's Cub, just as they will recognize Justin and Leonie of These Old Shades in her great-grandparents. Charles Audley, on the other hand, is first to be encountered in Heyer's light-hearted romance, Regency Buck, as is Lady and Lord Worth, and Sir Peregrine Taverner and his wife Harriet. Mention is also made of Harry Smith, the hero of The Spanish Bride, whose appearance in An Infamous Army is limited to one brief cameo during the course of the battle.
This wealth of associations with other Heyer titles should please her long-time readers, whose enjoyment of the story will be enhanced, I believe, by having read Devil's Cub, These Old Shades, and Regency Buck first. Although not strictly necessary for an understanding of the plot, these earlier novels will provide background knowledge of some of the characters' history and temperament, and give the story added poignancy.
I was tempted to give this novel five stars, as I am of the same mind as Ms. Sutcliff above, and consider An Infamous Army one of Heyer's finest works, intellectually engaging and emotionally involving. Her historical scholarship and research are top-notch, and I came away with a better understanding of this extraordinary moment in history, as well as a desire to learn more. The personal, romantic story was very moving, and Lady Bab and Charles are among the author's most believable and lovable characters.
The trouble, as many other reviewers have noted, is that the two strands of Heyer's narrative don't always sit very well together. They are both excellent, in their way, but it is almost as if one were reading two separate (but interconnected) novels, switching back and forth between them. This sense of disconnect was somewhat jarring, and prevents me from awarding this a full five stars.
However that may be, An Infamous Army offers the reader many rewards, from its wonderful portrait of Wellington, its moments of tender romance, and its heart-breaking scenes of human loss in the midst of the carnage of battle. Highly recommended to all readers, whether they are in the habit of reading Georgette Heyer or not...
It’s not that the military side is badly written, as the author
As mentioned, Ms Heyer’s writing is good, but to me this mix ’n’ match genre doesn’t work. I feel she would’ve been better off writing two shorter books, with one focusing on a Waterloo and its build-up, and another set in Brussels at the time but with the more serious events going on left as a backdrop, rather than a feature that keeps coming to the fore.
Another thing that stopped this book appealing to me as much as others that I’ve read by this author was the amount of characters involved. It took me till Chapter 4 before I started to visualise the main protagonists. The opening chapter introduces far too many characters at one go, ultimately confusing the reader – well, this one at least.
On the plus side, there is some great dialogue throughout the book, as one would expect from Georgette Heyer. The exchanges between Charles and Barbara were especially entertaining.
An Infamous Army is set in the English community in Brussells in the spring of 1815, during weeks leading up to the battle of Waterloo. Colonel Charles Audley, younger brother of Lord Worth (from Heyer's earlier novel, Regency Buck) meets Lady Barbara Childe, granddaughter of Mary Challoner and the Duke of Avon (first introduced in Devil's Cub), and after a very short courtship persuades her to agree to marry him. In an interesting turn on the romance genre, the rake in this case is not the gentleman, but Lady Bab, whose flirts and shocking behavior worry Colonel Audley's friends, and cause a rift in the relationship which is left unresolved when the Colonel, one of Wellington's staff officers, leaves town to go to war. The story then alternates between the events of Waterloo and the lives of those left behind awaiting news.
I loved the wealth of detail in this book, and the seriousness of its tone. Audley is a very appealing hero, and Bab has her faults, but is given the opportunity to show her admirable traits as well. The battle is not overly romanticised, and the losses sustained feel genuine. Readers looking for one of Heyer's romantic comedies may be dissatisfied, or may wish to skim over the battle parts, but anyone who likes a little romance mixed in with their history will not be disappointed.
Normally, I love historical fiction. I enjoy the enlightenment of discovering little known details surrounding historical events, and the glimpse into the lives of characters who have changed the course of history, even when they are slightly embellished. However, this book was not very enjoyable. The amount of detail, while impressive, was overwhelming. Some of the military tactical information and battle scenes seemed to go on forever, and the jump back to the events surrounding Barbara and Audley seemed too few and far between. I also disliked the minutia of the details. For example, there was a lot of information on the various colors and styles of the uniforms of the soldiers, which divisions had been deployed, and who was leading them. It was almost like reading a roster of names... very dry and lackluster. While I appreciate the amount of research that went into this account of Waterloo, it was very uninteresting and leaden. Perhaps if one were reading this as a history book, it would have been different, but I believe that the inclusion of the story of Barbara and Audley failed at the attempt to elevate this book into the realms of historical fiction. They seemed an afterthought, something pushed in to give the story some flavor to a rather dull military procedural. The book's tone was one of instruction, and rather than being interesting, it was instead informative.
I also disliked Lady Barbara. I don't believe that in order to be a complex character you have to be cruel, but that's exactly what Lady Barbara was. She was very spoiled and recalcitrant, always pushing the boundaries of propriety just because she liked to make a spectacle of herself. Many times in the book she admitted to being an intolerable vixen, yet she shrugged it off and claimed that her behavior was something she enjoyed and would continue. If she had not made other's so uncomfortable and ill at ease I could have accepted that. However, she seemed to enjoy playing one man off another and disappointing her friends and family. In one scene she specifically begins to take interest in a man in order to take revenge on his wife for a small social slight. I found this to be repulsive and ill-bred. It was almost unbelievable that Colonel Audley felt so strongly for her, because he was the most gentlemanly and kind person in the book. I found them to be a bad match, and an implausible one as well. Barbara spent the book flitting off from one flirtation to the next, dropping each one as her interest waned. I did not believe that her behavior would change after circumstances were altered. She seemed flighty and her serious emotions were not believable, and I had no patience for her or her antics by the end of the book. I lost a little respect for Audley's character for being so blind to her shenanigans, and felt this portion of the book to be highly vexing.
Although I didn't enjoy this book very much, I can see that it has its importance. Looking at it from a historical perspective, it is quite an accomplishment. The stellar research and the author's ability to keep all the specific information clear and well paced might be more appreciated by some who are fond of military history. Had the story been less focused on the battle and more focused on the periphery I would have enjoyed it more, and been better able to recommend it. As it was, this book was not really to my taste.
As others have pointed out, this story is set in Brussels before and during the Battle of Waterloo. The description of the Duchess of Richmond's ball on the eve of battle is one of the most haunting. The heroine is driven by inclination and past experiences to badness and troublemaking in ordinary, everyday life, but rises to greatness in adversity. The hero is torn between love and fair-mindedness when his beloved is willfully hurtful. Where do love and forgiveness end?
Her dedication to historical accuracy is to be admired, but the descriptions of regiments,
Speaking of which. Lady Barbara 'Bab' Childe - whose frumpy name, along with those of Judith and Julian, is more proto-Sloane Ranger than Regency moniker - is a typical Heyeroine. She is described, and describes herself, as 'wild' and 'boyish' - 'It's like talking with a man, only more exciting!' - but is actually only spoiled, spiteful, selfish and obnoxious. She behaves like a child(e), saying and doing hurtful things to gain attention, with the claim that it's in her 'curst nature' to do just as she pleases and get what she wants. The only trouble is that the reader is expected to excuse her behaviour and fall for her 'charms' just as the other characters do, Heyer once again lowering women to the standard of men in a cockeyed, 1930s interpretation of gender equality.
As a Heyeroine, 'Bab' is at once scandalous and safe - her reputation is founded on nothing but flirtations and rumours, while she waits for the 'right man' to whom she can finally give her heart. Although it's fairly obvious why Charles Audley falls for Bab - she's beautiful - the mystery is why she suddenly decides that he is the one for her. It's love at first sight between them, across a crowded ballroom (literally), but the only quality to distinguish the Colonel is that he is the Heyeroe. He doesn't even Resist Her Charms, thus making *him* a challenge for her - wholly unbelievable.
The only refreshing change - for Heyer, at least - is that Bab is not 'tamed' outright by Charles. Mentally unstable as she is (swapping laudanum for a husband), Bab sabotages her own engagement, which is the only exciting spot in the story. Only when Charles is physically incapacitated does Bab feel she can safely sacrifice a little of her proud independence to marry him, a la Jane Eyre - as she corrects him, 'You have come back to me, Charles'.
The dialogue also contributes little to the period atmosphere, historically accurate though it most probably is. The men are either 'stiff' or 'excellent', favourite exclamations include 'capital!' and 'infamous!', and Heyer's 'gurgling laughter' and 'twinkling eyes' make an unattractive return. Though far from anachronisms, these phrases put me more in mind of 1930s radio plays rather than Regency romances. There are some sharp retorts from Bab, and thoughtful insights from the sober Judith, but most of the conversations consist of inane exclamations ('Pooh! Nonsense!')
In the author's note, Heyer recognises that her Waterloo epic is similar in content to Thackeray's 'Vanity Fair', but insists that readers should not compare the two - an honest admission of defeat to be commended. Thackeray's 'novel without a hero' is based in history, whereas Heyer was attempting to cram history into a romance novel. Informative but dull, an unfortunate hybrid of fact and fluff.
Barbara and Charles' romance felt a bit wanting for me, but that's because they don't actually spend a lot of time together. There is a lot of period detail, down to the uniforms of the various soldiers and a close look at how the battle itself unfolded. Overall, I thought it was an impressively researched historical read, but not a book I could say I really got into.
However, book is not about love rather it is the setting that is most important. It is set in the backdrop of Battle of Waterloo and Duke of Wellington is very much an important character of the book. Duke's thoughts, strategies, quotes and lastly his balls even the one just before war begins has been covered in detail. Needless to say, famous Heyer research is apparent. Battlefield updates and strategies have also been detailed with meticulous care. More than a love story this should be treated as historical fiction of the period.
Georgette Heyer brings her pen to bear on the Battle of Waterloo with a nod to Thackeray's [Vanity Fair]. The novel is well written but the highly detailed chapters devoted to the battle were not for this reader. I pick up Heyer for the charm and the romance and this novel strays decidedly into military historical fiction territory. I stuck it out to see what happened for Bab and Charles but wouldn't recommend this novel unless you're really into endless lists of regiments and battalions.
The story starts in Brussels, there's a
And they are. Suddenly Napoleon is on their doorstep and something has to be done. The story written here of the battle is apparently very well researched and was used in some training schools as the description of the battle. Heyer shows her research and tale telling skills here. We lose some characters we have come to know and see some injured, there are no certainties throughout this story as to who will live and who will die, just as life.
The last third of the book details the aftermath of the battle and the changes that happen to people because of their close encounter with death. It wraps the relationships up nicely but leaves you questioning if some of the relationships will last past the adrenaline.
Altogether it's an interesting story, well told and a good book for those who dismiss Georgette Heyer as a mere purveyor of romances.
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