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    An Infamous Army: A Novel of Wellington, Waterloo, Love and War
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    An Infamous Army: A Novel of Wellington, Waterloo, Love and War
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    An Infamous Army: A Novel of Wellington, Waterloo, Love and War
    Ebook538 pages8 hours

    An Infamous Army: A Novel of Wellington, Waterloo, Love and War

    By Georgette Heyer

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    On the eve of battle, passions are running high...


    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 Fforde

    "A brilliant achievement...vivid, accurate, dramatic...the description of Waterloo is magnificent."—Daily Mail

    "My favorite historical novelist."—Margaret Drabble

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSourcebooks
    Release dateSep 1, 2007
    ISBN9781402234286
    Unavailable
    An Infamous Army: A Novel of Wellington, Waterloo, Love and War
    Author

    Georgette Heyer

    Georgette Heyer (1902-1974) was an English writer of historical romance and detective fiction. Born in London, Heyer was raised as the eldest of three children by a distinguished British Army officer and a mother who excelled as a cellist and pianist at the Royal College of Music. Encouraged to read from a young age, she began writing stories at 17 to entertain her brother Boris, who suffered from hemophilia. Impressed by her natural talent, Heyer’s father sought publication for her work, eventually helping her to release The Black Moth (1921), a detective novel. Heyer then began publishing her stories in various magazines, establishing herself as a promising young voice in English literature. Following her father’s death, Heyer became responsible for the care of her brothers and shortly thereafter married mining engineer George Ronald Rougier. In 1926, Heyer publisher her second novel, These Old Shades, a work of historical romance. Over the next several decades, she published consistently and frequently, excelling with romance and detective stories and establishing herself as a bestselling author.

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    Reviews for An Infamous Army

    3.5/5

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    • 4/5
      The year is 1815, and the British army, along with alliance armies from Prussia, Germany, and the Netherlands among others, are in Belgium awaiting the next move of Napoleon Bonaparte, who has escaped from exile.  The army officers are made up of the nobility or those who can afford to purchase such a rank.  As the threat from Bonaparte is not immediate, their wives and families travel to Brussels with them and bring their social trappings.    Rounds of visits, lavish dinners, parties and balls are all conducted much as they would be at home in England.   The Duke of Wellington, commander-in-chief of the allied forces and the nemesis of Bonaparte, is often the host for such affairs.The structure of this book is slightly different than that of most Regency romances.  There is the familiar meeting followed by the  immediate attraction between the book's two romantic protagonists:  Charles Audley, an  aide-de-camp to Wellington, and young-but-recently-widowed Barbara "Bab" Childe.  Charles is handsome, affable, level-headed and good natured.  Bab is outspoken, daring, badly behaved, and drop-dead gorgeous.  Where Charles has the respect of everyone, Bab is the most disliked woman in Brussels.  She is also its greatest flirt.  There is an instant attraction between the two, as nothing Bab says or does seems to shock Charles and Bab is attracted by a man who allows her to be herself.  But their road quickly becomes rocky as Bab's relentless flirting affects Charles' relationships with his close friends and ultimately pushes them apart.What makes this book different from other Regency romances is that while this romantic drama plays out, Heyer adds a great deal of history to the plot.  Bonaparte and his magnificent army loom on the horizon.  She portrays the Duke of Wellington as someone who enjoyed the social life in Brussels, but in the field became a different creature.   When it came to his troops he was serious, and showed great concern about their readiness for battle and victory:"I have got an infamous Army, very weak, and ill-equipped, and a very inexperienced staff."  "Matters look a little serious on the frontier."  (pg. 196)Bonaparte and Wellington do meet, and Heyer spends the last quarter of the book describing the now infamous battle known as Waterloo.  She does so in great detail, describing troop movements, the various units and their particular functions, weaponry, battles, communications, and the carnage.  One can almost smell the smoke from the battlefield itself.  I really enjoyed An Infamous Army.  Bab is one of the most interesting characters to ever come out of a Regency romance, and I loved that Heyer allowed her to be the notorious rake instead of a male character.  I also appreciated the history lesson.  It was a fascinating look at how wars were conducted during that time period.
    • 4/5
      Georgette Heyer, that queen among historical novelists, here turns her hand to what she acknowledges in the foreword as Thackeray's territory. Subtitled "A Novel of Wellington, Waterloo, Love and War," this story is set in Brussels during the summer of 1815. The English nobility, enjoying the freedom to travel after Bonaparte's first check, live in a whirl of balls and parties, and the Duke of Wellington is soon at the heart of the social scene. Yet over all the fun and frivolous social engagements looms an engagement of quite another kind, with "Old Boney" and the French forces.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.
    • 4/5
      Although this is an excellent historical fiction of the Battle of Waterloo (and the months leading up to it in Brussels), it isn't one of Heyer's books that I like very much. Upon this reread, I have finally figured out why -- the character of Judith Worth. I liked Judith Taverner very much in Regency Buck but in this one, she has become conventional and slightly stupid. There is also much less humor in this, which is reasonable considering its topic but still missed.
    • 3/5
      When this starts, set in Brussels in the spring of 1815, you just know that the Battle of Waterloo is going to feature. And feature it does. The final third of the book is a pretty intensive description of the battle, and it doesn't pull its punches. this may start looking like a regency romance, but it ends in a very different place. There is romance (not the most convincing of romances, either of them, if I'm honest), but there is a great deal of descriptive effort. Almost smacks of "I've done my research, you can read all of it". Lots of uniforms, lots of suffering, lots of guns and ordinance. I'm hard pressed to be sure if this should be recommended to a lover of romance or a military history buff - probably both would find is dissatisfying. The cast of characters is wide and varied. Some of them are more believable than others, Barbara, for example, I couldn't make out, but Judith strikes me as one of those women who supported their husbands and made them make Britain great. Not the best I've read, but it had enough to keep it interesting.
    • 2/5
      This felt like reading two genres in one book. First, there’s the humorous romanticism that Ms Heyer is so famous for – and so good at – and second there’s a full-scale military campaign, creating a completely different tone.It’s not that the military side is badly written, as the author has done thorough research and her writing skills are top notch, but for me the swapping and changing from the “classic Heyer” style to the “What’s happening with Napoleon?” in the first half of the book doesn’t gel. Further on, the witty romantic feel virtually disappears to be fully replaced by the Battle of Waterloo and its bitter aftermath.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.
    • 3/5
      Eh. It took me a long time - well past half the book - before I cared at all about the characters, including the hero and heroine. They did come to life, finally, but not until just before the battle. And the other characters who were or should have been familiar were mostly annoying - Worth is snarky but not amusing, Judith is utterly conventional (until near the end), the latest generation of the Alastairs don't have either Justin's or Dominic's fire. Vidal is infuriating and so is his wife - a fleshy and conventional Alistair? And Peregrine continues to be an idiot. The setting was mostly annoying - I didn't mind the descriptions of clothes and balls, I'm used to that in Regencies, but page after page of names with little descriptions for some of them...I didn't know, or care, who any of those people were. I'm sure they were actually there...but the only purpose in listing them seems to have been to show off Heyer's research on the battle and its runup. And once the battle got started, various groups were described by a random assortment of titles (Carabiniers, the 92nd, (person's name)'s column) - half the time I couldn't tell which of them were Allied and which French. Which made it impossible to keep track of the battle, and very difficult to be interested in the whole mess. So neither the war, nor the romance interested me much - I'm pleased that Babs and Charles finally ended up together, mildly amused at Lucy (and I wonder what George really thinks of the matter), but overall the book produced a yawn. I don't think I'll reread.
    • 5/5
      An Infamous Army, sometimes described as the third book in Georgette Heyer's Alastair Trilogy, is actually the sequel to a number of the author's earlier works, bringing together characters from three different storylines. The tale of dazzling Lady Barbara Childe, and her tempestuous engagement to Colonel Charles Audley, it is also the story of the prelude to, and conduct of, the famous battle of Waterloo. I understand that it is considered one of the finest descriptions ever written of that conflict, and has been used as a text at various military academies. In her introduction, the noted historical novelist Rosemary Sutcliff describes it as Heyer's finest book, the one "that stands tall above all the others, though it may not be the one for which we are best known."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...
    • 3/5
      Interestingly, I found my second Georgette Heyer to be sequel of first one I have ever read, Regency Buck. Needless to say Judith is now married to Earl of Worth, this is now story of her brother-in-law Colonel Charles Audley (honestly, have not figured out yet why two brothers have different last name, surely a detail I missed in first book). Colonel Audley falls in love with a beautiful widow called Lady Barbara Childe, who in English society is something of a scandalous character. She flirts and manipulates men at her whims and takes pleasure to flaunt all 'laws' that Regency period dictates for women.

      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.
    • 4/5
      War takes precedence over romance. About 2/3 of the way though this book as the army was ready to go into battle I remarked to my husband that I wondered how many of the men we had met in the first part of the book would be killed in battle. This is a detailed account of war: the preparation, the plans, the battle and the aftermath. Very different and quite interesting.
    • 2/5
      For some reason, the closer Heyer came to actual historical, the less enjoyabkle her nvels tended to be. This is really about the Waterloo campaign and less agreeable than most of her sheerly fiction stories, though it includes the usual quota of romance.
    • 4/5
      Georgette Heyer, that queen among historical novelists, here turns her hand to what she acknowledges in the foreword as Thackeray's territory. Subtitled "A Novel of Wellington, Waterloo, Love and War," this story is set in Brussels during the summer of 1815. The English nobility, enjoying the freedom to travel after Bonaparte's first check, live in a whirl of balls and parties, and the Duke of Wellington is soon at the heart of the social scene. Yet over all the fun and frivolous social engagements looms an engagement of quite another kind, with "Old Boney" and the French forces.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.
    • 3/5
      Another unbalanced Heyeroine, in the midst of a drawn-out recounting of the Waterloo campaign; grounding Georgette Heyer's Regency romances in battleplans and a biography of Wellington doesn't quite work.Her dedication to historical accuracy is to be admired, but the descriptions of regiments, manoeuvres and pretty uniforms (from lace trimmings to tasselled boots) take up far too much room, and the excess of detail adds little to the story. A blow-by-blow battle plan of Ligny, Quatre Bras and Waterloo might fascinate cadets at Sandhurst and West Point, but most readers who pick up a Heyer novel are more interested in the characters and the romance. 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.
    • 4/5
      Modern romance writers just can't compare with Heyer. This book has a bibliography! The reader really is immersed in the time period and the characters belong there, it's not just period window-dressing on an essentially modern tale. The characters struggle with their own flaws and drive the plot as they live through historic events. Heyer does not rely on transparent plot devices (Oh no! The hero and heroine are trapped by a snowstorm together--Mary Balogh uses that one twice. Twice! And my sample size isn't that big.) and she tells the story through dialogue and description, rather than telling us what the characters are thinking and feeling at every moment.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?
    • 5/5
      An Infamous Army is one of my favorite books by Georgette Heyer. It is a bit unusual for her -- this is much less a comedy of manners than a historical novel which contains romantic elements. There is certainly an appealing romance, but there is also a wealth of historical information, including nearly seventy pages describing the battle of Waterloo in such detail that this book could probably be used to stage an accurate reenactment.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.
    • 3/5
      An Infamous Army is the story of General Wellington's successful routing of Napoleon Bonaparte in the battle of Waterloo. As Napoleon's troops make their way towards Brussels, General Wellington is having trouble obtaining solid and trained soldiers and enough ammunition and artillery to fight the battle successfully. Beloved by his forces, Wellington must direct and marshal the tactical forces over the countryside in order to overtake the French forces. In addition to those problems, he is working with various other military leaders and troops not under his command, and the effort to create a unified front is one of the major problems in this battle. The mood in Brussels, however, is one of excitement and merriment, as many of the English gentry are visiting Brussels, and fete's and dinners are the order of the day. Of the party going set, the most illustrious is the Lady Barbara Childe. Barbara, a young widow, is flamboyantly fashionable and out to take the city by storm. Both glamorous and ostentatious, Lady Barbara has her pick of men among the crowd, and is never without an admirer. Her bold behavior and extravagant flirting keep her name constantly on the lips of those around her. But Lady Barbara is not prepared for her unexpected feelings for Colonel Charles Audley, whom she meets at a party. Audley too is quite smitten with Barbara, and instantly proposes marriage, a situation which shocks and stuns their social set. Can Barabara put away her coquettish ways for Audley and make herself a true and devoted wife? As these questions loom, Napoleon advances, and the battle begins in all it's bloody glory. When all is said and done, many will be lost and injured, and all must look to the future in their newly changed circumstances, including Audley and Lady Barbara.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.
    • 4/5
      It took me a while to settle into this – the opening introduces several people, and keeping track of who’s who and the connections can be difficult. The main couple, Lady Barbara Childe (Bab to her friends), and Colonel Charles Audley meet, and after a short acquaintance there’s a quick agreement to an engagement. I didn’t find myself that fond of Barbara, but she redeems herself once the war's effect is upon the Belgian citizens.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.
    • 5/5
      Georgette Heyer is well known for her romances and technically this is a romance as it does contain some romances. A married couple settling differences, a secret marriage and a couple coming together after adversity. But that's only the surface of the novel.The story starts in Brussels, there's a vague threat of Napoleon on the horizon but it's vague. Life for the officers and their wives is as it would be in any large town in England, only with a greater variety of accents and new people. Gossip and fashion are strong themes and one of the greatest target of gossip is Bab Childe. A widow of some means she seems determined to scandalise and shock. Many of the men are Officers in the Army, unsure if they will be called upon to fight against Napoleon.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.
    • 5/5
      Reviews of this book complaining of its drawn-out and tedious descriptions of battle almost persuaded me not to read it. But I am so glad I did. Much as I adore Heyer's sparklers (The Grand Sophy and The Foundling, for example), An Infamous Army is proof that Heyer could also handle great and complex subjects. Yes, the passages describing Waterloo are quite long and detailed, but by the time you get there, you realize how crucial they are to the arc of the novel -- and you are invested in the events themselves. Read this one if you are looking for more than frothy romance, rather, for a book that uses frothy romance as leavening for a more sobering history.
    • 4/5
      Enjoyed this as I have so many of Heyer's tales. There is much more military content in this one than most of the others, and it seems to be handled quite expertly, as expected. I wish she'd been able to develop Audley a bit more, but ah well.
    • 3/5
      Colonel Charles Audley is immediately charmed by the merry widow Lady Barbara Childe when he meets her in Brussels at a ball. They quickly become engaged despite Barbara's wild and scandalous nature. However, the Battle of Waterloo is looming and it threatens to destroy the world as everyone knows it.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.