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edwardian_girl_next_door's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
As with any non-fiction, I found it slow going, but Uglow's prose, intricate research, and wide range of sources made the book incredibly engaging when I did manage to pick it up again. I loved her inclusion of contemporary voices, drawn from letters, diaries, newspapers, memoirs, and beyond. A perfect reference book for anyone interested in the period.
nickyp's review against another edition
4.0
Whirligig tour of UK during wartime; great range, less depth (on purpose). Good basic review of the period. I like that even with a cast of thousands we return to certain families as the years pass and observe events as they affect people all along the social strata. It does get to feel breathless at times; I'd recommend you take short breaks between sections if your memory is good enough to keep the central families in mind through the break.
Huge respect for how many memoirs, diaries, letters, newspapers, and business papers she sifted through to find great quotes and enlightening stories. I treasure her bibliography and notes ;-) Scores of illustrations; helpful and important to the stories.
Huge respect for how many memoirs, diaries, letters, newspapers, and business papers she sifted through to find great quotes and enlightening stories. I treasure her bibliography and notes ;-) Scores of illustrations; helpful and important to the stories.
the_freya's review against another edition
2.0
This was a bit of a heavy read. Uglow has done such detailed research in the lives of people living in Britain during the Napoleonic Wars. However, a lot of the time it strayed from the social history and focused heavily on politics and the wars. It made reading this a struggle at times, as I lost interest in these sections.
annecm's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent. I particularly like the way she arranged the chapters around themes, not just chronology and included a lot on the lives of the less well-off, the ordinary people.
josephb8694's review
2.0
Well, having just managed to work my way through Andrew Roberts biography of Napoleon, I thought I would try Uglow’s”In These Times: Living through Napoleon’s wars, 1793-1815”. Honestly, I hadn’t remembered trying to read this in 2015 but throughout the first 75-100 pages, various passages sounded familiar. It wasn’t until looking in Goodreads and finding my earlier review (see below) did I realize I had given up on it exactly 4 years ago.
But Robert’s Napoleon fresh in mind as a framework, this time it was a bit less overwhelming. The least I can say for it was that I finished it. The most I can say is that I wish she would have turned her extensive research over to someone who could actually weave the people, quotations and events into a readable and memorable story. As it stands, it’s only a testament to a lot of work and a monument to a mountain of facts.
I’m not sorry for the 3 weeks a spent on it; was it enjoyable, no.
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As monumental as the research was, the book was a slog. Unless you love and are skilled at reading old English vernacular, often facing words long ago discarded, reading In These Times will make you feel like your rowing across the Atlantic or climbing Everest. I've labored through 1/7th so far. I rarely give up on books, even challenging ones, but if the direction and thrust of this one doesn't evolve soon, I may have to donate this a library and have it collect dust there.
But Robert’s Napoleon fresh in mind as a framework, this time it was a bit less overwhelming. The least I can say for it was that I finished it. The most I can say is that I wish she would have turned her extensive research over to someone who could actually weave the people, quotations and events into a readable and memorable story. As it stands, it’s only a testament to a lot of work and a monument to a mountain of facts.
I’m not sorry for the 3 weeks a spent on it; was it enjoyable, no.
================================
As monumental as the research was, the book was a slog. Unless you love and are skilled at reading old English vernacular, often facing words long ago discarded, reading In These Times will make you feel like your rowing across the Atlantic or climbing Everest. I've labored through 1/7th so far. I rarely give up on books, even challenging ones, but if the direction and thrust of this one doesn't evolve soon, I may have to donate this a library and have it collect dust there.
darlenemarshall's review
4.0
A comprehensive look at life in Britain during the Napoleonic Wars. Recommended to authors doing books set during the period. It's also a good choice for readers who enjoy stories of the Regency era, especially military fiction from the early 19th century (Hornblower, Sharpe, Aubrey & Maturin), etc.
There's nothing like first person accounts for entertaining anecdotes and reports of day-to-day life during wartime. The author's research and organization makes the book highly readable as well as useful.
There's nothing like first person accounts for entertaining anecdotes and reports of day-to-day life during wartime. The author's research and organization makes the book highly readable as well as useful.
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