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Captain Gronow, joined the Grenadier guards as a young subaltern in 1812, having completed his studies at Eton and was widely know in England and the Continent thereafter as a raconteur and a fine pistol shot. His "Reminiscences" span four volumes in their original edition, an edited version was produced around the turn of the 19th century, having varied titles but following a stream of collected anecdotes set in distinct eras. These memoirs have achieved a high degree of fame and are justly accorded much historical respect, especially in those incidents where Gronow was personally present to record the words and deeds of those around him. Although admitted to the highest society, Gronow is far from being a snob and his works bear the stamp of a high degree of moral probity, they could not be described as the handiwork of a gossip.
In this the second volume, there is a more diverse range in the anecdotes, rather than focussing in on a particular period of his life, Gronow's work is roughly divided into two parts; the first is more of eye-witness account the 1815 campaign and particularly the battle of Waterloo. He is critical of what has been published by some of the French historians who wrote somewhat biased views, and indeed what was reported as Napoleon's view of the battle.
The second part focuses on the Court and the Clubs, with further tales of famous figures of the era, their vices and their stories. The great and the good of the period appear in thumb sketches and anecdotes; men such as The Duke of Wellington, Napoleon's family including Madame Mére, Hortense, Jérome et al, Beau Brumell, The Prince Regent, General Ornano, Lord Byron, Shelley, the Duke of York, Alexandre Dumas, Balzac all feature.
"Reading Gronow is like drinking champagne - effervescent and mildly addictive"
Author - Captain Rees Howell Gronow - (1794-1865)
Text taken, whole and complete, from the edition published in 1865, London, Smith, Elder and Company.
Original - 228 pages.
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