At the heart of this sweeping, panoramic novel, set in Regency London and Spain during the Peninsular War, stands the lively, outspoken Harriet, poised on the threshold of the adult world. Her new husband, James, is setting off to join the Duke of Wellington’s troops in Spain. Left in London, she is taken under the wing of Kitty, Lady Wellington. While the women plunge into new worlds of politics, finance and science, the men face the bloody reality of the battlefield, testing their endurance to the hilt. There are betrayals on both sides, and at times it seems their love cannot endure. Their dramatic stories whirl us through the tumult of the Regency at home and abroad.
Tides of War is drenched in an unforgettable atmosphere, from the mantillas and palms of Seville to gas-lamps in foggy London. It carries us deep into the anguish of men at war, the taste of freedom offered to the women left behind, the passions of scientists, doctors and inventors and the burning drive of émigrés in a society on the cusp of change. As Harriet and James pursue their destinies, facing hope and heartache in equal measure, this stunning novel returns us all to the vivid, lost world of the past.
‘Dazzling – I love this book. It’s beautifully written, the characters are deeply involving and the historical settings so right – in short, Tides of War is a triumph.’ Simon Schama
Stella’s previous books Aristocrats: Caroline, Emily, Louisa and Sarah Lennox and A Royal Affair: George III and his Troublesome Siblings made the best seller charts. Tides of War displays all the narrative talent of Stella's best-selling Aristocrats, as well as her genius for period, atmosphere, character and description.
Tickets: £5
BUY 2 AUTHORS, GET 1 FREE!
Book tickets to see two Book Club authors and see a third author for free!
This offer applies to the following authors:
Stella Tillyard
Michael Simkins (29 June)
Sara Wheeler (25 July)
If you book, for example, two tickets to see Michael Simkins and two for Sara Wheeler, you can claim two free tickets for another of the authors listed. The offer is subject to availability.
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