Lady D's Ramblings

Below Stairs: The Classic Kitchen Maid's Memoir That Inspired "Upstairs, Downstairs" and "Downton Abbey" by Margaret Powell My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book is a very interesting glimpse into the world of domestic service during the beginning of the end of British nobility. The book begins with the beginnings of Ms. Powell's life, and go into her life into domestic service. She tells great anecdotes about her previous employers that really do allow you to glimpse into the private lives of the British nobility, and really allow you to see that even at their height, they were just like everyone else, just with a bit more money. You can definitely see where the writers of Downton Abbey took some inspiration from the book and it's stories, and it's interesting to see just where some of the craziness came from. If you're a fan of the show Downton Abbey, or want to learn a bit more about that time, and the people who lived "below," then t...

Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle by Fiona Carnarvon My rating: 4 of 5 stars Honestly, it took me a long time to finish this book. Not because it was boring, or hard to read, but because it was JUST dry enough that other books kept pulling me away from it. But I kept coming back to it. I'm a huge fan of the show Downton Abbey, and it was so awesome to me to see where the show's creators/writers pulled some of their inspiration for the show from. Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey is the story of the triumph of one English family through some of the massive trials and tribulations of the late 18- early 1900's, including a world war, and an influenza epidemic. It is a very nice read, and history lovers of the time will be enchanted by the detail of the different problems that the people of the family faced. Fans of Downton Abbey, or British History fans, I would highly recommend this book to. ~♥~ Lady D