The World of Downton Abbey

This book was released in the US earlier this week; I received my copy today and spent a couple of hours this afternoon looking through it. I wanted to review it right away in case anyone is considering buying it as a present for a Downton Abbey fan. It's a beautiful book and one that I'd have been thrilled to get as a gift. It's printed on thick, high quality paper and the photography is stunning. I would note that as Series 2 has not yet aired in the US, if you want to see the show without knowing anything in advance, some of the text is spoilerish here and there. The first instance that I found came at the end of Chapter 2, "Society." The photos are from both Series 1 and 2. There are also a number of "behind the scenes" photos. There are no extensive profiles of or interviews with the principal actors, if you are particularly interested in that, just short (1-2 sentence) snippets, and quotes now and again. There is some history to provide context for the fictional world of Downton (American heiresses marrying into the aristocracy, including Julian Fellow's inspiration for Cora, for example) as well as some information related to the series' production and filming. I did learn things from this that I hadn't heard before, and particularly enjoyed Julian Fellow's stories about ancestors of his who (unknowingly) inspired or gave him ideas for scenes and characters. Fans who have researched and read a lot about the Edwardian era will not likely learn anything new from the text, but I bought the book mainly for the photographs and information about the series, particularly so was not disappointed at all. In summary, I can't imagine any Downton fan not liking this book! The suggestions for further reading are good, though the section on life below stairs could be more extensive. I would second the recommendation of Juliet Gardiner's Manor House: Life in an Edwardian Country House (listed as The Edwardian Country House, its UK title) for anyone interested in the era's country house life - likewise very beautifully done.

To watch Downton Abbey is to watch a way of life slowly die with an epic story and it kind of reminds me of Gone with the Wind. The best part of the TV show is the personal look into the servants' and nobilities' lives from the early 1900s and how they interacted with each other. You really feel transported to the time period and all the characters are interesting and likable yet flawed. Like any loyal fan would, I bought this book because it had the words "Downton Abbey" on it. I figured I would love it. I did and I got more than I expected. This was more than a behind-the-scenes look at the actors and the locations. Jessica Fellowes takes history and facts from a time period that is kind of overlooked and just makes that time period come alive. You get to go on a journey to see how essentially Jane Austen's time became the world we live in now. She made me care about where the term "weekend" came from and why the Dowager Countess was so baffled by it. Here are a few of the fascinating morsels that I learned: *The whole family will come down for breakfast except the lady because married women get breakfast in bed daily. (Breakfast in bed for Mother's Day anyone?! Now I feel ripped off because it was just something they got EVERY DAY. I'm seriously doubting that our modern world is "better.") *You get to see the beginning of things that have survived to modern times like cornflakes from America. *Country Houses were being torn down left and right after WWI until The Victoria and Albert Museum had an exhibition called "The Destruction of the English Country House" that saved them. (That sounds like the most boring exhibit ever but now I'm depressed that I missed it.) *Cora's back story is from a trend during that time of American women coming to England and marrying English lords. Cora was based on woman in real life named Lady Curzon from the book "To Marry and English Lord." (Okay, I have to admit that I did not notice Cora was American until I read this book.) I adored reading all the history and the real life inspriations for the show. The pictures are beautiful. The actors give insight into their characters. You get to read about everything from clothing, family, and society to war and change. It's a look into an era that is really the beginning of our modern world and the death of a way of life that had been around for a very long time. This book was the perfect companion to my favorite show.

Fans of the period drama Downton Abbey will love this beautiful book from its darling pastel blue cover to the wonderful, color photographs peppered throughout its pages (there was also a bonus bookmark in the book which was the PBS ad for Season Two). The book begins with a foreword by Julian Fellowes, describing his own fascination with English country homes, and how Downton Abbey came about (purely by chance, it seems). This being a book about the production, the chapters are organized under several themes: Family Life - begins with an "upstairs-downstairs" portrait gallery, followed by insights into the family life of the Granthams as portrayed in the show with excerpts of interviews with the actors (who tell us about how filming is done, their routine, etc.); readers also learn how the various servants at Downton Abbey operate within the larger machinery of the household and it certainly makes for interesting reading about a life that seems so far removed from today's (for example, one learns that kitchen maid Daisy's character is an amalgamation of several different roles, i.e. a scullery maid, a vegetable maid, and a stillroom maid). I greatly enjoyed reading about the duties performed by various members of staff and the real-life anecdotes by those who had actually been in service such as the reminiscence of Gordon Grimmet who had been in service to the Astors. There are even practical household tips from the servants! Society - back in the Edwardian Era (the period in which Downton Abbey is set) and earlier, one truly had to be born into society to be accepted into the fold.There are delightful titbits of information about how Consuelo Vanderbilt learned about society etiquette; a feature on the real-life Cora, Lady Curzon; and even the ceremony of coming out into society, all of which enhance the main text which delves into the lives of the Granthams in society. Change - describes the coming of the First World War, and how this affects the various residents at Downton Abbey, both the Granthams and their servants. Life in Service - the servants generally display a great deal of pride in their work, evident especially in Carson and Mrs. Hughes (the butler and the housekeeper, respectively). Style - beautiful , beautiful, costumes! with lots of gorgeous color photos. House and Estate - how filming is done at Highclere Castles, the building that is featured as Downton Abbey, etc. Romance - goes into details regarding the romance between Lady Mary and the heir to Downton, Matthew Crawley; the valet Bates and the head housemaid Anna Smith; and others. War - how the First World War forms the backdrop to the story of the family and the servants Behind the Scenes - filming etc. Towards the end, there is a cast list, and suggestions for further reading. I'd highly recommend this book to all fans of Downton Abbey!

Complimented by the photography of Nick Briggs and the revealing Foreword by Julian Fellowes, this sumptuous volume belongs on any coffee table--furniture which the Edwardians apparently did not need. What a marvelous companion to the Carnival Films/Masterpiece Theate two-season co-production. When I first saw the book advertised I assumed it was the novel which inspired the series on PBS, but come to learn that it was the series which inspired the book! Not a plotted novel in fact; rather, a wonderful easy-to-digest description of the life of British gentry life just before, during and after the Great War. The start of the modern era with electricity, motorcars and telephones--much to the disgust of the dowager Countess, Violet, who deplores any change as a threat to the Social Establishment, where people knew their place both Upstairs and Downstairs. Heavy to hold but filled with sumptuous scenes of gorgeous (and humble) interiors, with exquisite gowns and minutely-accurate uniforms of all sorts, this wonderful volume offers chapters on various topics of interest for those of us who were easily captivated by the dawn this depiction of modern Britain. The all-inclusive Table of Contents lists: FAMILY LIFE, SOCIETY, CHANGE, LIFE IN SERVICE, STYLE, HOUSE AND ESTATE, ROMANCE, WAR, and BEHIND THE SCENES.An alphabetic cast list is provided on page 298. Reading this book is somewhat of a challenge for the text (even a sentence) is interrupted by pages of photos both from the production and of posters and relevant material. Members of the cast and crew were interviewed to provide interesting quotes re their take on their roles and costumes. The author also includes delightful passages from the actual script which serve to highlight the topics of each chapter. So why do DOWNTON ABBEY aficionados devour this volume? Why to relive the sumptuous upstairs/downstairs soap opera on a grand scale. (Upstairs: Desperate for an Heir, Downstairs: Eager for Advancement.) As the distinctions of Place ("mind your betters!" as butler Hudson would growl) gradually during and after WW1 both extremes of society struggled to adapt--some more than others. Although a delightful companion to the series, this excellent book was as meticulously researched as were the sets, costumes and props; it can proudly stand as a Sociology textbook--an accurate source of previously hidden details about this era British 20th Century Britain. Your favorite characters beyond and behind the "green baize door" remain eternally young--helping a new generation of readers and viewers recapture the spirit of Edwardian England.

I purchased this for a birthday gift for my partner, she and I are both huge fans of the show. We were slightly apprehensive about this being more of a 'production' companion; that is, showing more of the filming and set design. Instead we were pleasantly surprised to find this a delightful companion to the world of Downton Abbey from the era. Included are many, many gorgeous photos of the abbey and the actors in various scenes. The information included discusses a little about the actual production, but more as the production relates to the actual era and how the filmmakers and designers stayed true to historical aspects. For example, included is an example of what a person of that era would use to wash their hair, or why a particular costume is the way it is. There are fun little factoids, such as pointing out that an American heiress in England would likely travel to Paris once a year and spend up to $20,000 (and that is in 1910s currency) on clothing and jewelry to wear for the upcoming year. The reader also finds out that much of the set, props, and costumes are either authentic pieces from the period, or made with pieces from the period. Many of the costumes have accessories or pieces from the 1920s. Amazing! But even those items that had to be made are made with painstaking detail to historical accuracy. And the historical accuracy of the series is what makes this companion book such a welcome addition for any fan. This book will not tell you of the plot, or spoil any surprises from the show. It does discuss the characters as if they were real people living in the era (i.e. Cora would have done this...). But for those interested in the period from the late 1800s through the 1920s of England's high society, this is a wonderful book. And it really is a welcome gift for fans. *** Of note: the first copy we received had some light damage to a few of the pages (creasing, some folding, and a few tears), amazon shipped a replacement immediately and we are happy now.

If you are unaware of what Downton Abbey is, it is a mini-series on PBS set in the years surrounding WWI. Downton Abbey is the estate belonging to the Crawley family, the patriarch of which is the 5th Earl of Grantham. The estate, as was the custom, has been handed down to male heirs throughout the years since it was originally bought in the 1600's. Robert and Cora Crawley, however, have been blessed with 3 daughters and no sons, which creates an obstacle in the inheritance of the estate. That obstacle increases when the next heirs, a male cousin and his son, drown during the Titanic`s sinking in 1912. What follows is a series of events that are made more intriguing by the fact that they are happening to an aristocratic family with daughters that need to be married off, a family estate that needs a future owner, and a bevy of servants downstairs who are accompanied by their own set of issues. The class system continues downstairs as well, with the butler at the head and the kitchen maids near the bottom. There are secrets, mysteries, unrequited love affairs, schemes, and other storylines that keep the plot moving forward in a clever and entertaining way. The Downton Abbey Companion Book does a satisfactory job of being no more than what it claims to be- a "companion." It does not give away any of the plot beyond the first season. There are a few behind-the-scenes anecdotes, some history of the house that is used (Highclere Castle,) and explanation of the work that is done to preserve the time period's authenticity. But what I most appreciated in the book are the tidbits on real-life people who lived during that time; people upon whom some of the characters are based. There are quotes from duchesses, butlers, footmen, maids, and others who lived the time and its required customs. If nothing else, it makes you appreciate the efforts of the writers and production team to create a realistic setting for a fictional family during a time in history when their way of life was slowly becoming more and more obsolete. The book's author, Jessica Fellowes, is an author and free-land journalist. She is also the niece of Julian Fellowes, who is the creator and writer of Downton Abbey.

Wonderful book

Wonderfully written book with more Downton Abby trivia than you can shake a stick at! The book was purchased as a gift for my Godmother who is a HUGE DA fan like I am. Before being wrapped and given away I couldn’t help but sneak a peek and now I think I’ll order one for myself! The book has loads of info of detailed life during the time period as well as notes about the cast, crew, sets and filming. Wonderful pictures and behind the scenes stories as well. This book is a MUST for anyone who considered themselves a true DA fan!

This is an absolutely BEAUTIFUL book based on iTV's Downton Abbey! The publisher certainly didn't skimp when it came to quality and detail! I wasn't expecting the book to be as long as it is (it's 300+ pages) but I'm delighted that the author took so much time and effort in writing it. The end result is highly satisfactory! It covers both the first and second seasons of the program and delves into every storyline, every character and every social event (be it a tea party or WWI). Estate life is also examined and fictional characters are compared to real-life people who lived in 19th century England. There is an additional chapter at the end of the book detailing all of the Behind-the-Scenes work that goes into filming the series. This book is crammed full of pictures and interesting tidbits concerning both the cast and crew - you'll absolutely love it if you're a fan of Downton Abbey! I wonder if there will be another book release when the third series airs?

On beautiful paper another behind the scenes, at this Awesome Julian Fellowes Classic. A must have for the Downton Fan. Get to know more about the characters and the awesome behind the camera crew. Make room on the bookshelf

livre acheté car j'ai beaucoup appécié Downton à la télé très intéressant car il mêle l'histoire et la série organisé en chapitres: par exemple la société de l'époque, vie des domestiques, la guerre, la demeure , les costumes... pour lesquels on reprend les faits historiques et le traitement qui en a été fait pour la série de très belles photos d'originaux de l'époque, du film, du tournage des extraits d'interviews des acteurs bref, j'ai été conquise ... mais bien sûr il est en anglais

Beautiful book with gorgeous illustrations. A great read for other fans of the best programme ever shown on tv. Very happy with my purchase

This book gives really fascinating insights into the making of the hit show as well as the period it is based in, with pictures from the show and advertisements and art from early 20th century England. Makes a wildly interesting read and keepsake for the show, history and even art enthusiasts.