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Loading... Lady Catherine, the Earl, and the Real Downton Abbey (edition 2013)by The Countess of Carnarvon (Author)
Work InformationLady Catherine, the Earl, and the Real Downton Abbey by Fiona Carnarvon
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Really enjoyable book — manages to cover biographies for several people in a complex time with clarity and great flow. Source materials are seamlessly integrated. I recommend this also as a compact synopsis of the Second World War — covers it thoroughly, while centering personal recollections, which just brings the history home. Audio book well narrated, too — hard to put down. The current Countess of Carnarvon writes a history, somewhat focused on the life of Catherine, the (first) wife of the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, from 1920-1945. However, reading between the lines Catherine was mildly introverted and private leaving only limited records of her life and so ultimately the book is as much as about the Earl, their children, and occasionally their extended family as well as the staff at Highclere Castle. Into the second half of the book there's also a fair amount of general WWII history, useful as context for the events going on in the lives of the individuals the book is following but perhaps a bit more robust than needed. The slightly meandering focus aside, the book is well written as a popular history and the historical photos included are worth the price of admission. Not a read for the serious historian but for the fan of Downton Abbey who this book is truly aimed at, it's a pretty decent read. This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers. I couldn't get into this book about the English aristocracy which has been so popularized by Downton Abbey. It is that that piqued my interest. I am interested in the English aristocracy as there are some great stories about them and their palaces but this doesn't happen to be one of them. It doesn't mean this book is without merit. It just didn't turn me on. no reviews | add a review
Belongs to SeriesDownton Abbey (Highclere 2)
Biography & Autobiography.
History.
Nonfiction.
HTML: Lady Catherine, the Earl, and the Real Downton Abbey tells the story behind Highclere Castle, the setting for Julian Fellowesâ??s Emmy Award-winning PBS show Downton Abbey, and the life of one of its most famous inhabitants, Catherine Wendell. In this transporting companion piece to the New York Times bestseller Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey, Catherine, a beautiful and spirited American woman who married Lady Alminaâ??s son, the man who would become the 6th Earl of Carnarvon, presides over the grand estate during a tumultuous time for the British aristocracy. Following the First World War, many of the great houses of England faded as their owners fortunes declined in the new political and social world of the 1920s and 1930s. As war loomed, Highclereâ??s survival as the family home of the Carnarvons was again in the balanceâ??as was peace between the nations of Eu No library descriptions found.
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LibraryThing Early Reviewers AlumFiona Carnarvon's book Lady Catherine, the Earl, and the Real Downton Abbey was available from LibraryThing Early Reviewers. Current DiscussionsNonePopular covers
Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)941.082092History and Geography Europe British Isles Historical periods of British Isles 1837- Period of Victoria and House of Windsor 1901-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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The book is historically accurate in every detail that I could personally verify. Lady Carnarvon had access to all the historical records and artifacts of the home and that must have helped tremendously in fleshing out these people and detailing life at Highclere. There are all the usual spottings of the rich and famous, coming and going at Highclere, particularly during World War II, but there is also enough beneath the surface revelation on Lady Catherine and the Earl to make them seem individual and not stereotypes.
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