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    The Real Life Downton Abbey: How Life Was Really Lived in Stately Homes a Century Ago
    Unavailable
    The Real Life Downton Abbey: How Life Was Really Lived in Stately Homes a Century Ago
    Unavailable
    The Real Life Downton Abbey: How Life Was Really Lived in Stately Homes a Century Ago
    Ebook268 pages4 hours

    The Real Life Downton Abbey: How Life Was Really Lived in Stately Homes a Century Ago

    By Jacky Hyams

    2.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Fans of Julian Fellowes' hit show can step back 100 years to the world of the pampered, privileged upper classes and take a look at exactly what goes on behind the magisterial doors of their favorite stately home Using the characters and setting of the popular television show as a point of reference for the reader, this is a closer look at the Edwardian period. They were the super rich of their times, pampered beyond belief—the early 20th century Edwardian gentry, who lived like superstars, their every desire or need catered to by an army of butlers, servants, footmen, housekeepers, and grooms. Class, money, inheritance, luxury, and snobbery dominated every aspect of the lives of the upper crust Edwardian family. While below stairs the staff inhabited a completely different world, their very lives dependent on servicing the rich, pandering to their masters' every whim, and rubbing shoulders with wealth and privilege. While privy to the most intimate and darkest secrets of their masters, they faced ruin and shame if they ventured to make the smallest step outside the boundaries of their class-ridden world. From manners and morals to etiquette and style, this book opens the doors to the reality of the era behind TV's favorite stately home.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherJohn Blake
    Release dateJan 6, 2012
    ISBN9781843588276
    Unavailable
    The Real Life Downton Abbey: How Life Was Really Lived in Stately Homes a Century Ago
    Author

    Jacky Hyams

    JACKY HYAMS is the bestselling author of 'Bombsites and Lollipops' (John Blake, 2011). More recently, she has written 'Frances Kray: The Tragic Bride' (John Blake, 2014) and 'Vicious, Elegant Bastards' (The History Press, 2022).

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    Reviews for The Real Life Downton Abbey

    2.5/5

    16 ratings2 reviews

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    • 2/5
      An interesting, but shallow, look into Edwardian lifestyle. There are twelve chapters on various aspects of Edwardian life (money, relationships, transportation, health, etc), and each chapter is separated between "the toff" and the servants. As you'd expect from the title, there are occasional comparisons to the TV show, but they mostly involve just referencing a character's name (eg "Scullery maids, like Daisy..."). While there are a lot of interesting factoids, there's very little actual commentary, and it feels a bit like a high school paper rather than something by an actual historian. I do have some qualms about the information presented - while googling for more information on Edwardian calling cards, I came across a webpage (that appeared to pre-date the book) with nearly verbatim text.I'd recommend Bill Bryson's At Home for a more interesting history of the home, though it's not specific to the Edwardian period.
    • 3/5
      Adequate history of country house life in the Edwardian era, capitalizing on 'Downton Abbey Fever' on both sides of the Atlantic. DA characters are briefly referenced, but with little specific commentary. If one is looking for a book specific to the television program. You will be disappointed. Likewise, if you are looking for serious social history. At least the ebook version I had failed to have end notes, bibliography or index. Nevertheless, there were entertaining aspects. I particularly enjoyed the minute-by-minute telling of a typical servant's day.