I was blabbing about Downton Abbey on my other blog the other day-- the blog where I let myself blab on and on about everything I enjoy-- and I got to thinking about books that I have read in the past that remind me of Downton Abbey, cover the Edwardian Era, and World War I. I really had to dig because while I have read a lot on WWII, I have not read as much on the first World War.
Fortunately, I love a good excuse to read another book, and because Downton Abbey is not a script written from a book (like Brideshead Revisited or Lark Rise to Candleford), I have put together this Downton Abbey reading list.
The World of Downton Abbey
First up is, The World of Downton Abbey, a new book written by the niece of Julian Fellowes, Jessica Fellowes. I am so in love with this series that I have purchased it, my very first behind the scenes book for any movie or tv show-- EVER.
Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey
Another very recent publication, I have not yet had the chance to read this but it is penned by the current Lady Carnarvon and tells the story of the 5th Countess of Carnavon. Lady Almina's fortune saved, Highclere Castle, where Downton Abbey is filmed, and did in fact turn the Castle into a hospital during the war.
All Quiet on the Western Front
When I think of World War I, I think of this book. Primary sources are the best and even though he was a German vet, it is a very necessary read. Since it has been years wince I read, All Quiet on the Western Front, it is going to the top of my reading list. Similar Read: Memoirs of an Infantry Officer
by Siegfried Sassoon and then the Pat Barker WWI Trilogy and prelude, Regeneration
A Farewell to Arms
Another great, and from my favorite author. For some reason I don't find this love story as sad as others seem too. I think its because I appreciate it as a love story, even if it is sad and not all peaches and cream, it is their story.
Wait for Me! Memoirs
Memoirs of Deborah, Duchess of Devonshire. If you want to read more about the life that the Crawley sisters led, this is the perfect way to get a very clear idea. Because Deborah's sisters were writers, there is a lot published about the Mitford's, Chatsworth, and the life they led (See list below). Similar Read: Testament of Youth
The Remains of the Day
I read, Kazuo Ishiguro's, novel after I found and watched the movie (starring Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson) following the first season of Downton Abbey. Like everyone else I could hardly contain myself, with the long wait, and went in search of new movies and books. Loved the movie, and I loved the book even more. I highly recommend this if you have not read it, I later noticed that it was on so many "Top Lists" and even won the Man Booker Prize for Fiction. Similar Read: What the Butler Winked At: Being the Life and Adventures of Eric Horne, Butler
Rose: My Life in Service to Lady Astor
While Remains of the Day and What the Butler Winked At look at a great house like Downton Abbey from Carson's view, we get O'Brien's view from Rose. I actually just started reading this so I have nothing to add yet, but will do so as soon as I finish. Similar Read: Below Stairs: The Classic Kitchen Maid's Memoir That Inspired "Upstairs, Downstairs" and "Downton Abbey"
Mrs. Dalloway
I have read most of Virginia Woolf, including Mrs. Dalloway, but have decided to go back and reread this one in order to glean as much as I can. Similar Read: The Return of the Soldier
Free Kindle Edition
Decline and Fall of the British Aristocracy
In order to get a well rounded idea of the time period, it only makes sense that you study what was going on in society. It was immediately before and then following the war that the British aristocracy changed, or declined, and this is something we hear a lot about in Downton Abbey. Similar Read: The Great Silence: Britain from the Shadow of the First World War to the Dawn of the Jazz Age
The Perfect Summer: England 1911, Just Before the Storm
As the title suggests, The Perfect Summer, takes place just before the storm in England hits and all hell breaks loose. It looks at life through the eyes of folks from all walks of life and stations in Edwardian society. Also Recommended: Parade's End (Vintage Classics)
War Poems
Knopf republished their collection of War Poems as a result of the Downton Abbey Craze, but I found this free Kindle collection of pretty much the same pieces. Similar Read: The War Poems of Siegfried Sassoon
, Free Kindle Edition
Even more Downton Abbey related reads dealing with World War I, the British aristocracy, social change, and the Titanic (because there was some fabulousity going on then and the series does start with its sinking).
I will add more as I find and read, or as my readers recommend.
Rose: My Life in Service to Lady Astor
Mrs. Dalloway
Decline and Fall of the British Aristocracy
War Poems
Free Kindle Edition
The Band that Played On: The Extraordinary Story of the 8 Musicians Who Went Down with the Titanic
