you fancy huh?

The Emmy-winning Downton Abbey is a period drama series set in 1912 in the fictional city of Downton Abbey, and follows the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants during the reign of King George V. Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey, written by Lady Fiona, the Countess of Carnarvon (yes, that’s right, Countess), is basically the biography of Highclere Castle, focusing on Lady Almina and the Carnavon family. So, we have a fictional series on PBS that has become extremely popular, winning a ton of writing, cinematography and costume awards. And now we have a biography, written by a family member that spans the time period covered by the show’s second season.  The book is extremely historical. Lady Fiona shows us how the Edwardian castle operated from the daily chores of servants to the food served, the hunting on the grounds and the reception of royalty. She takes us inside the hospital Lady Almina set up at Highclere during World War I, saving hundreds of wounded soldiers. I am going to go ahead and chalk this bio up as a history lesson worth reading.