REGENCY ENGLAND
And the Romance Novelist
Want to write a historical romance novel set in the Regency period in England and don’t know where to begin? Afraid to muddle through? Let me make it easy for you.
WHAT
JANE AUSTEN ATE AND CHARLES DICKENS KNEW: From Fox Hunting to Whist —
the Facts of Daily Life in 19th Century England
Daniel Pool
ISBN-13: 9780671882365
Is an excellent source of data that will save you the trouble of looking up individual facts, such as the currency, the calendar, English measurements, how to address titled personages, rules of etiquette and card games, occupations, diseases, clothing, personal hygiene, vocabulary… the list is long. The details you will find in this wide–ranging book will no doubt inspire you to create great scenes and delightful scenarios you had no idea would find their way into your novel.
The
Writer’s Guide to Everyday Life in Regency and Victorian England from
1811–1901
Kristine Hughes
ISBN-13: 9781582972800
Is another fantastic and enlightening book. What I didn’t find in the former, I found here, and vice versa. It depicts cooking, the military, arts and entertainment, travel, shopping, mourning, and much more over a longer period of time.
LAW, LAND & FAMILY: Aristocratic Inheritance in England, 1300–1800
Eileen Spring
ISBN-13: 9780807846421
Will get you right down to business. Your heroine is an heiress but her greedy uncle is contesting her father’s will? Your hero is an impoverished peer looking to acquire a wife but needs to know a few things about the law and settlements? This book will not only educate you — and fill your hero’s pockets — it will write the novel for you.
AN
ELEGANT MADNESS: High Society in Regency England
Venetia Murray
ISBN-13: 9780140282962
Loved this book! Before writing ONCE A RAKE, I had read a very long and distinguished list of “regencies,” but I didn’t want to draw info from my favorite authors or to sound like them. So I did the research and came across this little book. Informative, witty, and an absolute must, it took me straight to the ribald streets of Regency London. Guaranteed to give a sense of authenticity to your writing — and to satisfy the high sticklers. I highly recommend it!
THE
REGENCY UNDERWORLD
Donald A. Low
ISBN-13: 9780750940474
A gripping tale of the Rookeries and Thief–Takers, the Last of the Charleys, Nurseries for Crime, Tom & Jerry, gambling, rogues and other colorful characters. I could not put this book down. After reading it, I had to get my hands on a copy of Charles Dickens’s Oliver Twist and relive the experience.
Oliver
Twist
Charles Dickens
ISBN-13: 9780451529718
And speaking of the little devil… have you seen Roman Polanski’s wonderful screen adaption (2006) of Oliver Twist starring Ben Kingsley? Kingsley’s portrayal of “shifty Fagin” is so brilliant, you love him, you hate him, you pity him, and you cannot help but commiserate with him…
Georgian
London (Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in Britis)
John Summerson
ISBN–13: 9780300089875
Want to tour London before writing your novel but can’t afford to go there right now? Check out this book, pick the grandest house on Grosvenor Sq. and move in with your heroine.
THE GENTLEMAN’S DAUGHTER: Women’s lives in Georgian England
Amanda Vickery
ISBN-13: 9780300075311
“The provincial women at the heart of this study hailed from families headed by lesser landed gentlemen, attorneys, doctors, clerics, merchants and manufacturers. As a group they described themselves as ‘polite’, ‘civil’, ‘genteel’, ‘well-bred’, and ‘polished’. As brides they aimed to appear ‘amiable and accomplished’.” Thus begins Ms. Vickery’s first chapter — and it gets better and better. A must book for amiable and accomplished romance lovers!
These books are just the tip of the iceberg. While doing the research for ONCE A RAKE I consulted many more — and not just books. There are websites, programs, magazines… the list is endless. My advice: Start with the top books, find your story, and then dig deeper into the specifics.
In the battle of Waterloo, Colonel Lord Ashby, the hero of ONCE A RAKE, commands a cavalry regiment — the 18th Hussars. He has fought the French alongside Wellington from the moment England declared war against Napoleon and invaded Portugal till the conclusive battle of Waterloo.
For this reason, I had to acquaint myself with specific aspects of the war — battle strategies, uniforms, the War Office, the Horse Guards headquarters, etc. — and with the men who played a leading role in it — Wellington, Napoleon, Lord Castlereagh, the generals, etc. Colonel Lord Ashby had to be 100% true to life.
I wanted Ashby to play a major part in vanquishing Napoleon — the fascinating, controversial, multi–dimensional Emperor of France — and so it only stood to reason that Napoleon Bonaparte, the great adversary, should play just as important a role in Ashby’s life. As a consequence, Ashby became equally intriguing, controversial, complex — and enticing. A temptation Isabel Aubrey could not resist for long… 
Luckily, I found this book:
WELLINGTON & NAPOLEON: Clash of Arms
Robin Neillands
ISBN-13: 9780850529265
This book encouraged me to dig deeper and ultimately inspired the Waterloo scene, in which I take readers to the bloody battlefield of Waterloo where you may experience everything Ashby does. It is but one example of how you can use research to shape and move your plot.
Check out my article THE IMPORTANCE OF DOING RESEARCH to find out how careful study can shape and move your plot!
