genre: history
What did I know about Waterloo before I read this book? Literally as much as I could glean through the Abba song. Embarrassing, I know. But NOW? I've got it! I understand why it matters so much and I understand why it is a turning point. I genuinely enjoy social history and this is a perfect example: yes, it is about the Battle of Waterloo, but probably two chapters are about the battle itself. Mostly this book is about all the people who are involved and how they are all woven together. It's about British society and being an ex-pat and how by 1815, war was like...an aristocratic past time. It's fascinating and horrible. It is hard to wrap one's brain around how complicated communication was during this period - how you'd find things out days and weeks after the fact or how in even one day's ride you could hear seven different "true" accounts of the same experience.
The author's tone is sometimes sarcastic in a way I enjoyed. He's clearly British in how he rips his own to shreds but then explains why they are all adored anyway. I think I can appreciate now how so much of the British "vibe" can be traced back to this one particular window of time. If you enjoy history centered around individuals and the roles they played in big world events, I think this is worth reading.
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