Before and after Waterloo Letters from Edward Stanley, sometime Bishop of Norwich (1802; 1814; 1816)

Through a handful of candid letters, a young English clergyman sketches the turmoil and hope that coloured Europe at the turn of the nineteenth century. Written in three distinct phases—just after the brief peace of Amiens, following the 1814 settlement, and in the summer after Waterloo—these missives trace his journeys from the French countryside to the bustling streets of Paris and beyond. The author’s sharp eye records not only military movements but also the everyday lives of ordinary people adjusting to peace and reconstruction.

In addition to vivid descriptions of ruined towns, bustling markets, and the lingering shadows of the Revolution, the correspondence reveals an emerging liberal conscience that challenged the entrenched attitudes of his own class. Interspersed with sketches of catacombs, bridges and foreign costumes, the letters offer a personal yet historically rich portrait of a man wrestling with faith, reform, and the aftermath of empire. Listeners will feel as though they are sharing a coffee with a thoughtful traveler who bridges the gap between the battlefield and the parish porch.