Lady Almina and the real Downton Abbey the lost legacy of Highclere Castle
Ratings8
Average rating3.9
Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey tells the story behind Highclere Castle, the real-life inspiration for the hit PBS show Downton Abbey, and the life of one of its most famous inhabitants, Lady Almina, the 5th Countess of Carnarvon and the basis of the fictional character Lady Cora Crawley. Drawing on a rich store of materials from the archives of Highclere Castle, including diaries, letters, and photographs, the current Lady Carnarvon has written a transporting story of this fabled home on the brink of war. Much like her Masterpiece Classic counterpart, Lady Almina was the daughter of a wealthy industrialist, Alfred de Rothschild, who married his daughter off at a young age, her dowry serving as the crucial link in the effort to preserve the Earl of Carnarvon's ancestral home. Throwing open the doors of Highclere Castle to tend to the wounded of World War I, Lady Almina distinguished herself as a brave and remarkable woman. This rich tale contrasts the splendor of Edwardian life in a great house against the backdrop of the First World War and offers an inspiring and revealing picture of the woman at the center of the history of Highclere Castle. - Publisher.
Series
Featured Series
2 primary booksThe Women of the Real Downton Abbey
The Women of the Real Downton Abbey is a 2-book series with 2 primary works first released in 2011 with contributions by Fiona Carnarvon.
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Enjoyed this much more the second time. There was still a bit much about the war and Tut, and I still wish there was more about the staff, but I didn't mind so much this go ‘round. Almina sounds like she was a force to be reckoned with.
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Overall I enjoyed the book but I wish there had been more about the house and staff and more of the day to day work that went on. I didn't need as much about the war and all of the King Tut stuff; it had little to actually do with the home itself.
After getting hooked on the Downton Abbey series on PBS, I was motivated to search out the real story of the family, and this book is definitely a must-read for any fan of the show. Letters, diaries, newspaper stories, photos and other primary sources are all compiled to give a thorough picture of the Countess, her family and the disappearing years of Edwardian England.
My favorite aspect of the book was the description of Lady Almina's wartime efforts to create a long-term care hospital and rehabilitation center for wounded soldiers at the castle. Her methods of nursing soldiers and training nurses are instructive and relevant even today.
Even if you haven't seen the PBS series, you'll find this book an easy, enjoyable read.
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