Changes

|date=January 2015

|website=http://www.stephenbateswriter.com/

|summary=A social, political, and military history of England in the year 1815, describing in some detail the state of the country and its people, the events leading up to Waterloo, the battle itself and its immediate aftermath

|cover=1781858217

While this book may be fairly kaleidoscopic in nature and not go very deep into the subjects covered, it is an absorbing read. The author writes very well and readably and paints a lively, sometimes amusing, sometimes sad and very authoritative picture of Britain, and to some extent her place in the world, at a tumultuous time. The eight pages of largely colour plates, the majority being contemporary prints and cartoons, complement the text admirably. Any general history reader who is fascinated by the early nineteenth century will love it.

If this appeals, may we also recommend the life of a sometimes overlooked personality of the age, [[Sir William Knighton: The Strange Career of a Regency Physician by Charlotte Frost]], or for a portrait of cultural life during the regency, [[The Immortal Dinner: A famous evening of genius and laughter in literary London, 1817 by Penelope Hughes-Hallett]]. For another date that century, try [[1864: The forgotten war that shaped modern Europe by Tom Buk-Swienty]].