My Books

The 18th-century masquerade didn’t die at the dawn of the new century. Instead, spectacle helped these risqué events achieve new grandeur. From indoor balloon displays to lavish food and wine, masquerades in the early 1800s were hyper-real sites of consumption. Dressed in dominoes, character costumes, and fancy dress, the fashionable and titled of London society flocked to these events in the hundreds to thousands to entertain and be entertained. Amidst the bacchanalian, motley events were signs and symbols that masquerade balls were about more than a good time.

In the first comprehensive look at early 19th-century British masquerades, Glover uses primary sources to identify venues, décor, performers, costumes, and other details about public and private masquerades.

Masquerades flourished from London to far-flung imperial strongholds. Comparing the details over the long Regency, Glover teases out common themes and then examines them through the lens of national identity, cultural appropriation, and gender. This research sheds new light on Regency people, culture, and society and on what we know about the British masquerade.

Readers are saying: “fascinating read and it really opened the doors to see what masquerades were really like in the era of Bridgerton and other of my favorite period dramas”

“I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the social history of the Regency period, especially those curious about the cultural and performative aspects of elite society.  It’s a valuable resource for researchers..”

“This fascinating work of scholarship is a feast for the imagination. The level of detail is incredible; the author definitely did her research!… it is a must-read for anyone who enjoys reading or writing about the Regency era in England.”

Now available in the UK or for pre-order in US

 

My short spoof “Twilight at Northanger” also appears in the hilarious anthology of bad Austen tributes: