More Books Begging to be Read

A family emergency has occupied all my time this week, and so I can offer you only something which appears as well on my website--my list of favourite research books.

One of the joys of writing historical fiction is the historical research it requires.

I write about the Regency because I love to read about the Regency, in fiction and non-fiction.

Here I list some of my favourite research books in the hope that they will enhance your Regency romance reading experience.

There are many books about the Regent of the 'Regency', and his times.
These titles are good starting points:

George IV: Inspiration of the Regency

Steven Parissien hc, St. Martin's Press, 2001

The Prince of Pleasure and his Regency 1811-20 by

J. B. Priestley Sphere Books, trade pbk, 1971

George IV: Regent and King 1811-1830 by

Christopher Hibbert hc, Allen Lane, 1975

More general history of the period and some original accounts are found in:

Years of Victory 1802-1812 by Arthur Bryant
London, Collins, 1945 hc

The Age of Elegance 1812-1822 by Arthur Bryant
London, Collins, 1950 hc

The Rise and Fall of a Regency Dandy:
The Life and Times of Scrope Berdmore Davies by T.A.J. Burnett
ISBN 0-19-285124-1 pbk Oxford University Press

A Residence at the Court of London by Richard Rush
ISBN 0-7126-1780-9 pbk Century Hutchinson

Voices from the World of Jane Austen by Malcolm Day
ISBN 0-7153-2379-2 hc David & Charles Limited

Captain Gronow: His Reminiscences of Regency and Victorian Life 1810-60
ed. by Christopher Hibbert
ISBN 1-85626-013-5 hc Kyle Cathie Limited 1991, many other editions available

Regency Etiquette: The Mirror of Graces (1811) or The English Lady's Costume
by a Lady of Distinction
ISBN 0-914-46-24-1 pbk R. L. Shep Publications 1997

The Miseries of Human Life by James Beresford
originally published 1806, many editions

Our Village by Mary Russell Mitford
originally published 1821, many editions

Diary of a Country Parson by James Woodforde
originally published ?, many editions

For views of the Regency world, try:

Britain Portrayed: A Regency Album 1780-1830 by John Barr
0-7123-0174-7, hc, 1989, The British Library

Regency England: The Great Age of the Colour Print
by Reay Tannahill, The Folio Society Limited, 1964 hc.

Mrs. Hurst Dancing and Other Scenes from Regency Life 1812-1823
by Gordon Mingay with original watercolours by Diana Sperling.
ISBN 0-575-03035-6 hc London, Victor Gollancz Ltd., 1981

Life 'below stairs' is well documented:

The Complete Servant: Regency life below stairs
by Samuel & Sarah Adams, Butler & Housekeeper
1-870962-09-5 trade pbk, 1993, Southover Press

The Housekeeping Book of Susanna Whatman
ISBN 0-7126-1755-8 National Trust Classics


About Regency Architecture and Design:

Masterpieces of Wedgwood by Aileen Dawson
ISBN 0-7141-0531-7 pbk British Museum 1995

Design and the Decorative Arts: Georgian Britain 1714-1837 by Michael Snodin and John Styles
ISBN 0-8109-6618-2 V&A Abrams 2004

Architectural Drawings of the Regency Period: 1790-1837 by Giles Worsley
ISBN 1-55835-044-6 hc Americn Instit. of Architects Press

London's Georgian Houses by Andrew Byrne
ISBN 0-9511459-0-8 pbk The Georgian Press

Georgian and Regency Houses Explained by Trevor Yorke
ISBN 978-1-84674-051-0 pbk England's Living History Series/Countryside Books 2007

About the Napoleonic Wars:

Die Hard! Dramatic Actions from the Napoleonic Wars
by Philip J. Haythornthwaite

ISBN 1-85409-447-5 pbk Arms & Armour Press/Cassell

Uniforms of Waterloo by Haythornthwaite, Chappell and Cassin-Scott
ISBN 1-85409-394-0 pbk Arms & Armour Press/Cassell

Next week, multi-published author Maureen Mackey will be here blogging about Regency Etiquette. Maureen is a prolific author of Regency romance and romantic suspense. It was while studying English literature and history that she fell in love not only with her future husband but also with 18th century and Regency England. Maureen’s lifelong love of mysteries prompted her passion for writing in that genre as well. When she’s not writing she likes to read, prowl through used book stores, walk her rambunctious Sheltie and spend time with Tom and their two sons. She’s currently working on a time-travel mystery and a Regency novella.

Her most recent Regency romance:

Can anything induce an unrepentant rake to abandon his indulgences and reform himself? Prudence Culpepper doubts her childhood playmate, Lord Harry, is capable of changing his irresponsible ways. But a fire, and a desperate chase through the countryside bring out the best and worst in both of them.


Please join us then!
In haste,

Lesley-Anne

Heyer and Austen--Readers' Delights

"Pistols for Two, Breakfast for One"--a chilling reminder of the purpose of any duel; to put a period to the existence of one's opponent. But in the hands of the inimitable Georgette Heyer, a duel becomes a delightful story about the maturing of two young men, and the happiness of a young lady. "Pistols for Two" is the title of that story and it is the title of the anthology of eleven short stories in which it appears.

The anthology "Pistols for Two" was first published in 1960. It has always, to me, seemed like a box of the finest sweets, a thrill to open, and a delight to savour the contents. The stories vary from the light and delicious Bath Miss to the mysterious and enjoyably chilling Night at the Inn. The very first heroine (I think) won by a gamble is Helen Morland in Hazard, and the mistaken identity in Full Moon is the epitome of charm.

I cannot recommend Heyer's only anthology highly enough, and I have always regretted that she produced just one collection of short stories. You may have gathered by now that I am one of Georgette Heyer's most ardent fans.

But I am not the only fan. Indeed, the delightful website Austenprose is currently hosting a whole month about Georgetter Heyer's work--reviews, articles, opinions. I recommend the event highly for information, giveaways (!), and great fun.

When you are finished reading Heyer, you might want to return to the delights of Jane Austen. A book that I just completed, reflecting Jane Austen's real life, is "Dearest Cousin Jane" by Jill Pitkeathley. It is the captivating story of Jane's cousin Eliza Hancock, told in turns by herself and a variety of Austen relatives involved in her life. The voices seemed to me very accurate, and the story unfolds in delight and tragedy exactly as did the life of Jane's most charming cousin.

After completing Pitkeathley's book, I turned to a more current Jane Austen-linked offering suggested by my sister-in-law (thanks, Joan!). Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler is, in my opinion, a captivating read. There are so many of this type of book around these days (I won't be reading any of the zombie, vampire or sea monster versions, thank you) that it is difficult to discover if any of them are worth your precious reading time. I think Rude Awakenings is certainly worth the effort. The voice of the heroine is very believably Regency, her concerns, her anxieties, her courage and her personality are credible and convincing. The reason and the science for the exchange of mind and personality are of course unexplained and unexplainable but, like the best science fiction, one believes and does not question too closely.  Rigler's first book "Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict" will be next on my reading list.

I hope you are finding some delightful reading material this summer. I'd love to hear your recommendations.

'Til next time,

Lesley-Anne

P.S. Here's another recent blog I discovered about Pistols for Two! First Impressions

Thinking Outside the Box - Regency Education Part III

Alternative education--it was an even more radical idea in the Regency era than it is now. For alternative education in the Regency meant education unattached to the Church of England.
right Harrow School
Most of the schools of England were associated in some way with the Anglican church.  It was, after all, the predominant religious institution of the nation. Eton and Harrow schools for young gentlemen both had close ties to the Church of England and it was very difficult to obtain entry to the universities at Oxford or Cambridge unless one was allied to the official Church.

left Oxford University 
Jane Austen wrote about what she knew, and she knew the world of the Anglican clergy. Therefore it permeates her novels. Georgette Heyer accepted the status quo and the world of the aristocracy and restricted her mentions of religion to Church of England. Modern day authors tend to do likewise. Thus mention of educational establishments also cling to the traditional, well-known, church-related institutions which emphasized a classical education of Greek and Latin literature, oration, and philosophy.

But there was a whole other world of religion and education occupying Regency England. The religion we will perhaps discuss another time. But the 'dissenting academies' were an important part of the educational establishment. Dissenters was a general term which included Non-conformist Protestants, Jews, Roman Catholics and Quakers. But it was not only their young men who attended the dissenting academies. There were scholars (even aristocracy) of all stripes at the most liberal of the schools because of their curriculae--which included experimental science, mathematics, business accountancy, grammar, modern history and geography.

left the first Warrington Academy
The Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow while not, strictly speaking, dissenting academies shared the liberal philosopy of the dissenters and provided a broad education and open admission. Some have argued that the dissenting academies fostered the industrial revolution. Certainly schools like Ackworth in Yorkshire, the Warrington Academy and its later version the Manchester Academy played a leading role in educating the middle classes who were instrumental in the society of the industrial North. 

right St. Agnes Miners and Mechanics Institute late 1800s
At the same time, education for the working classes was being developed by new movements like the Mechanics Institution, the 'Sunday Society' established in Birmingham in 1789, and Anderson's Institution in Glasgow.
The children of the working classes were still largely uneducated, but their parents were at last able to seize opportunities for advancement. Like the dissenting academies these instituions emphasized practical skills, and technical training.

In my book Daughter of Trade the heroine's middle class family subscribes to the idea of education for all and sends its sons to a dissenting academy. As writers and readers of the Regency era we need to consider the options that existed beyond the schools and universities of the Church of England. While the aristocrats of the Regency often did not think progressively when choosing their sons (and in some cases, daughters) schools, there were some who did. We need at least to consider the other advanced educational opportunities available.

'Til next time,

Lesley-Anne