For those who, like me, enjoy answering questions like
"how much did a pair of boots cost in 1812?" or "where was
Wellington on June 10, 1815?," here is an idiosyncratic reading list of
historical studies of the Regency period that I have found useful. Books currently available for purchase have an image linked to Barnes and Noble.
Daniel Pool, What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens
Knew.
From Fox Hunting to Whist—the facts of Daily Life in
19th-Century England. Brief, readable survey of the basics:
etiquette, entertainment, money, fashion, food, transportation, servants,
crime, etc.
What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew: From Fox Hunting to Whist-the Facts of Daily Life in Nineteenth-Century England
Susan Palmer, The Soanes at Home. Domestic Life at Lincoln's Inn Fields.
Published by the Soane's Museum (highly recommended for visitors to
London). John Soane was a
regency-era architect; while not every regency gentleman has artificial crypts with
skulls in our cellar, this study of Soane's household in London contains
invaluable details about schedules, diet, and budgeting. Available from the Soane's Museum website
Tom Tierney, Empire Fashions. A Dover coloring book
featuring French costume under Napoleon.
An incredible bargain.
Empire Fashions
Niall Ferguson, The House of Rothschild. Money's Prophets, 1798-1848. Biography,
economics and history blend in this critically acclaimed study of the
influential banking family.
House of Rothschild: Money's Prophets, 1798-1848
Mark Girouard, Life in the English Country House.
J, Christopher Herold, The Age of Napoleon. A
magisterial survey of both
Napoleon and the world he altered.
The Age of Napoleon
Henrietta Spencer Churchill, Classic Georgian Style. The
best kind of coffee-table book: beautifully illustrated and organized. Includes a glossary and a list of
Georgian designers.
Classic Georgian Style
Philip Haythorthwaite, The Armies of Wellington. Excellent overview of the organization and daily life of the British army under Britain's legendary general.
