The Spanish Bride: A Novel of Love and War [Paperback]

Georgette Heyer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2008

Based on the true story of Brigade-Major Harry Smith and the very young Spanish noblewoman he met and married during the Peninsular Wars, when the Duke of Wellington's forces fought Napoleon's army in Spain and Portugal.

After marrying Harry Smith when she was 14 years old, Juana Smith "followed the drum," marching at the back of the troops along with the other wives and the officers' servants. Juana became a camp favorite, charming all with her youthful enthusiasm. In spite of the danger, Juana thrived on military life and her passionate, if somewhat stormy, relationship with Harry.

Heyer's research encompassed every available diary from that time period, including Harry Smith's, and all of the Duke of Wellington's writings and dispatches. She brings alive military life during the Regency period, how the armies marched and fought, as well as how the nobility provided for its own comfort with servants, horses, dogs and furniture.
(20081002)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Sparkling" - Independent" --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

The late Georgette Heyer was a very private woman. Her historical novels have charmed and delighted millions of readers for decades, though she rarely reached out to the public to discuss her works or private life. It is known that she was born in Wimbledon in August 1902, and her first novel, The Black Moth, was published in 1921.

Heyer published 56 books over the next 53 years, until her death from lung cancer in 1974. Heyer's large volume of works included Regency romances, mysteries and historical fiction. Known also as the Queen of Regency romance, Heyer was legendary for her research, historical accuracy and her extraordinary plots and characterizations. Her last book, My Lord John, was published posthumously in 1975. She was married to George Ronald Rougier, a mining engineer, and they had one son together, Richard.

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark; Reprint edition (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402211139
• ISBN-13: 978-1402211133
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 6.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #526,938 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Author of over fifty books, Georgette Heyer is the best-known and best-loved of all historical novelists, making the Regency period her own. Her first novel, "The Black Moth," published in 1921, was written at the age of fifteen to amuse her convalescent brother; her last was My Lord John. Although most famous for her historical novels, she also wrote eleven detective stories. Georgette Heyer died in 1974 at the age of seventy-one.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One for the history buffs and the romatics, February 4, 2005

By 

A. Crane "Joy to read" (LA, California, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Spanish Bride (Hardcover)

This "true" story of Juana and Henry Smith seems unbelievable. But truth is stranger than fiction. I've read a great deal of General Smith's biography and though Heyer certainy took liberties, the worst that can be said is that she toned down his (and other men's) adoration of his wife. This tale is singular in that in our cynical age it gives voice to a very real voice of love and adoration in an age we almost believe to be a myth. Yes, it is battle heavy and if you have no interest in the Napoleanic Wars, you may become bored. But if you want to learn a great deal of the history of the period in an entertaining way, you can look to no better source. The scene at Waterloo is unforgettable.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful blend of military history and real-life love story, March 1, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Spanish Bride (Audio Cassette)

A wonderful book by Georgette Heyer, dealing with the true story of the marriage between Harry Smith, a brigade-major in Wellington army, and Juana, his Spanish bride. It's a marvelous blend of romance and history, and it has been very well researched. It would be interesting not only to Georgette Heyer fans, or those who love a good story, but for all the military buffs out there. I really reccomend i

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars War, Romance, Humour and Tragedy.... and yes its true, August 3, 2000

By 

Julian Wells (London, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Spanish Bride (Paperback)

Another superb book from Georgette Heyer, focusing on the early life of Brigade Major Harry Smith and his marriage to a 14 orphaned Spanish girl in the midst of Wellington's Peninsular campaign. Unlike her other great Napoleonic book 'An Infamous Army' the principle characters in this book are based on actual people whom she vividly brings to life again.

The story begins with the battle and sacking of Badajos and continues right through the Peninsular campaign, drawing a wonderful tapestry around the hardships and privations suffered by the soldiers and civilians caught up in a global conflict.