Jessica FellowesThe Chronicles of Downton Abbey: A New Era (The World of Downton Abbey)

Another delightful book by Jessica Fellowes about the characters of Downton Abbey. It encompasses seasons 1 through 3 and provides in depth character analysis of the most prominent characters in those seasons. Each profile consists of several pages. At the end of each profile is a page or two showing props and items that would likely be associated with each one. For Bates it might be the packet of letters he treasures from Anna. For Mrs. Hughes it is her keys. As customary with the books by this author the pages are heavy and the photographs show each character, both alone and in scenes in which they appeared.My only complaint about the book is that it was written to early in the series and because of that many characters introduced in the second three years are left out. That is a shame because many of them are quite compelling. Missing are Lady Rose and her parents, Atticus Aldredge and his parents, Tony Gillingham, Charles Blake, Miss Bunting (and Edna the housemaid who stalks Branson), Mr. Bricker, Bertie Pelham and Michael Gregson who court Edith, and of course Henry Talbert who marries Mary in the last season. All of these characters' interactions with other members of the family serve to give greater understanding of what makes each character tick. Also, in leaving out the second half of the series, we miss many plot points that help us understand why a character behaves as they do.For the Downton addict like me, this is a delightful book that deserves its place among the others about this marvelous show.

Love the book! It came in some weird packaging that fell apart and got everywhere however! Have a vaccum on hand.

I love that book - it is a beautiful memory of the Downton Abbey series.

Yes, I'm in love with Downton Abbey and yes I bought this for myself because I have the other book.This book was much better than the first book. This book has information about each of the characters individually up through about the middle of the third season. There is even a section about Mrs. Isidore Levinson (Martha - Cora's mother) who isn't introduced until season 3.I loved this book. Yes, it had many photos which were great. It also had a lot of background information about each of the characters and the time periods explaining why some of the characters may have acted certain ways.There are interviews with each of the actors which then give a little more information about the characters on screen which we may not have know about. For example, Joanne Froggett's (Anna) perspective on what Anna's upbringing must have been like to make her such a level-headed and confident person, and yet very protective and closed off about her past.This book was wonderful. I read it in just over a day. Anyone who enjoys the series and wants to know more about the characters and the time period, this is for you.

I really loved Downton Abbey, although I didn't watch it till Covid kept us quarantined. I've been reading the books and they give insight into the characters and the actors who bring these characters to life. Fun fact - that magnificent dress that Edith wore to meet Michael Gregson for dinner was nicknamed "Beadith.) I've read a number of the background books and they all add to watching the series.

I very much enjoyed this book. It gave much of the political and sociological background to the stories, as well as additional information about the making of the series. I would’ve given it a five star rating, except I found the print hard to read because of the font size and the color of the print. Aside from that, excellent book that I enjoyed very much.

I received this book for only $7, which I think is quite the bargain, considering almost all the other Downton Abbey books sell for around $30. Unlike the other Downton Abbey books, this book focuses only on the characters, giving them full descriptions over about 10 pages per character, along with many great pictures and a page or two of props and artifacts of each character. I was a little disappointed to find this book does not have any pages on James (jimmy) or Ivy, but this may be due to it being written during season three and not at the end of season three (as jimmy and ivy are both in season three but not till halfway through). But overall it is a great book and includes relevant history, along with amazing sections on each main character!

I love Downton Abbey soooo much and am thrilled that there will be a new movie. A lookie here, a new book for the new movie too-swoon!

Bought these as christmas presents for fellow Downton worshipers and they loved them as much as I did when I quickly thumbed throught them before wrapping. What I love is the authenticity of the old lists and household accounts as I know how accurate and true this can be from my own research and experience. Love the way it is set out with the upstairs at the front of the book and the below stairs in the second half of the book. Beautifully presented and a joy to read for all Downton fans or those interested in the Edwardian period and the way lives were lead at that time.

Very pleased with this book. It is written in what I consider to be an easy to read style with lots of illustrations, photographs and background information about the characters. Lovely, interesting photos, like the form filled out with the numbers of people for breakfast, lunch and dinner each day for the week, so that the staff can plan ahead. This is an insight into the world of the upper classes and how they lived. A brilliant read and well worth the money. Very pleased with it and would recommend it to any Downton fans.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this book - the pictures and information about each character fill in the gaps thatI may have missed while watching the programme.I also like the " behind the scenes pictures" - for an avidfan of Downton like me- this book completed the stories up to now. I recommend it to all fans of Downton!

I got this book for my Mother and Aunt for Christmas so haven't seen/read it myself.My Aunt, once she had unwrapped it, was very pleased with it and spent ages going through it.Saying something that did you know etc about the characters from the series.So on that bases I would have no hesitation in recommending it to you.

While the first book published by Jessica Fellowes compared the true story when "Downton Abbey" takes place with the characters and the situations seen during the first two seasons of the series, this book is more about the characters and the series itself. Great photographs.