The myth and memory of Waterloo

Why is Waterloo still a fixture in the story Britain tells about its national history, more than two centuries on from the battle itself? Speaking to David Mugrove, Dr Luke Reynolds delves into the myth and memory of Waterloo, to uncover how battlefield tourism began almost immediately after the fighting, and why the legacy of the battle continued to be fought over for several decades after 1815.

Luke Reynolds is the author of Who owned Waterloo: Battle, Memory, and Myth in British History, 1815-1852 (Oxford University Press, 2022)