Waterloo narratives are two a penny. This is different: not a blood and guts account of 18 June 1815 but the untold story of how Britons have perceived the battle (and Wellington) over the two centuries since. Beginning with the iconic Waterloo Despatch, the talk considers representations of the battle, for example in art and literature, and especially at landmark anniversaries, even giving a nod to Bernard Cornwell, Edmund Blackadder, Ridley Scott and Abba! In doing so the speaker identifies competing themes of celebration, commemoration & commercialisation
R. E. FOSTER was the first graduate student to work on the Wellington Papers when they were gifted to the nation (subsequently deposited at Southampton University) in 1983. His book, Wellington and Waterloo. The Duke, the Battle and Posterity 1815-2015, was published to coincide with the bi-centenary of the battle. Russ was a member of the education committee, part of Waterloo 200, the official body which planned and oversaw events to mark the Iron Duke’s finest hour. A Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, he has written three other books plus countless articles, principally for the History of Parliament volumes, covering the period from 1832 to 1868.
