The World of Downton Abbey

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 servantsBehind 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!

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.

As avid Downton Abbey fans, this book is a great addition and a great read about the background on the making and ins and outs of Downton Abbey. Love it and so glad I purchased it!

Arrived well packaged and in good shape!

Like it!

Dedicato a tutti gli appassionati di Downtown Abbey e a coloro che vogliono avvicinarsi a questa magnifica produzione. Un ottimo libro, bellissime fotografe on stage e off stage, i racconti di persone vissute all'epoca in cui è ambientato DA (1912-1926) e le opinioni di produttori, registi, ecc. Insomma, non può mancare nella propria libreria.

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.

Esto es la perdición de cualquier mitómano de la serie. Tanto la encuadernación como el papel son de alta calidad. Lo único, es extraño que no haya versión traducida al español.