Infamous Army (ISBN 0099465760)

An Infamous Army:
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.

Learning what the fuss was all about:
This is my first read by Georgette Heyer. I've heard a lot about her, and I mean a lot, both from the historical fiction and the historical romance readers I know. She is the favorite of many, many readers. I was expecting a lot, and the book didn't disappoint. It is, in fact, a pleasing mix of romance and historical fiction. Lady Barbara Childe is the female equivalent of a rake. She flirts with many men, but refuses to get married after her first atrocious attempt. Colonel Charles Audley, however, is determined, patient, understanding, and in love with Barbara. They quickly get engaged, but that isn't the end of the story, although it had me confused for a bit, wondering where they would go next. On the other hand, there is the lead up to the Battle of Waterloo. As one of the Duke's personal staff, Charles is bound to go to the fighting and a great deal of the book deals with the looming conflict and the battle itself. I definitely was immersed in the period while reading this book. The beginning was a little slow because it takes time to get used to a whole different world. Heyer never slips out of it, and while the book was written a good 70 years ago, I still think that's impressive. The characters surprised me and jumped out of the page; especially Barbara, who is incredibly compelling and understandable by the end, despite the fact that she is about as different from me as possible. The best part, however, was definitely Waterloo. The book alternates between Charles' family and the battle itself, giving us two viewpoints. Heyer does a brilliant job getting across the tension, the distress, and the complete alienation from the world that the patient loved ones are feeling. The battle scenes are astounding and even upsetting because the author puts you right into the army's shoes. This is historical fiction at its best, showing us what the past may have been like. So now I begin to understand why Georgette Heyer is so popular. I've got another of hers waiting in my TBR pile and I'll be on the lookout for more. Her books are being reissued, so this may not be too difficult. The lovely cover above is the result of this reissue.

An infamous army:
Well, I have to admit that having read These old shades, Devil's cub and Regency Buck to threads, it might be a little surprising to know that this is my first time reading An infamous army. I have always hesitated about starting this book. I knew it would feel a little sad, like visiting with very dear old friends for the very last time before each goes their own way... I have always loved Charles in Regency Buck, in this book he was his usual merry, good humoured self, a little more mature but just as amusing as ever. Barbara had her great-grandma Leonie's hair and eyes, and she is a true scandal-creating,arrogant, spoiled Alastair that you can't help but like. Judith had turned a little more prudish that I would have thought for someone who used to take snuff and have a curricle race on the way to Brighton ( Regency Buck). Julian the quiet strength and as always a wonderful brother. Mary (Duchesse of Avon) her usual no-nonsense, practical self. Dominic is still my favorite Alastair. The tumultuous courtship between Barbara and Charles was what I would expect of an Alastair and an Audley... A note of warning: this is one of the sadder Heyer books. The second half of the book is poignant with a very realistic portrait of a society living in the middle of a war: partying in the middle of chaos, loosing dear friends to the senselessness of war, and finally the bitter-sweet end. I cried my eyes out in the last few chapters... a rarity when reading a Heyer!!!! I loved this book. I strongly recommend it, probably not as an introduction to Heyer's world but definitely at one point when one realises the genius of that woman and the tour de force she accomplished once more with her attention to historical details...

An Infamous army:
After reading several reviews on this site I was a little bit reluctant to read this book specially when I saw someone had given only 3 stars. I guess I was in for a great surprise! This is the best novel I have ever read. It has everything war, romance etc.... I was surprised that some people didn't even see the romance between Charles and Barbara. Let me say one thing I grew up in a war (Beirut-Lebanon)and every emotion that people experience in this book is for real. Giving parties, dancing, falling in love from the first sight, horrors of war, people without limbs etc.........It's all real. I just couldn't put the book down. Thanks God I have been living in USA for the past 17 years, but you never forget those crazy days. I give 5 stars although the book deserves million stars. Her discription of Waterloo is sooooooooo correct which amazes me.Georgette Heyer is the best I wish she wrote more books :( Anna

An Infamous Army:
I recently read AN INFAMOUS ARMY yet one more time (and aren't all of us glad Ms Heyer's gotten reissued to a new generation and an old one as well?) and I still appreciate it as containing the best and most emotionally involving account of Waterloo I've ever read as well as containing an adult and very human account of two people falling in love and what duty and selfishness cost them in the sweep of world events. Of course I've read and re-read all the prequals to this book so I know where the threads are from the previous works. But this is a stand alone work of glorious historical sweep. I do love Georgette Heyer.