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Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle Audiobook
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Plot Summary
Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle, 2011, created by the current Countess (Fiona) of Carnarvon, is a blend of biography, novel, and historiography. The setting and inspiration for the PBS Emmy winning television series created by Julian Fellowes, this work is much more than a fan-fiction glimpse into the Late Edwardian Era estate.
To capture the mood leading to the World War I years, the family archives of Highclere Castle are tapped by the current Countess: letters, photographs, and diaries of the inhabitants present a wealth of material. Yet this tale is as much about the countess as it is Highclere. Detailed in a way that fans of historical fiction or period novels would appreciate, the transition from Victoriana to the Edwardian Era is revealed through the life of the late Countess.
Akin to Lady Cora Crawley, her Downton Abbey series counterpart, our Lady Almina was daughter of the wealthy industrialist Alfred de Rothschild. She married young, becoming the eighth Countess; it was her ample dowry which preserved the ancestral home of the fifth Earl of Carnarvon. We discover how, during World War I, her generous spirit led to the transformation of Highclere Castle into a hospital for the wounded, and also how later her wealth would finance the Earl's expeditions to Egypt for the opening of King Tut's tomb.
Lady Fiona Carnarvon studied English and German at University of St. Andrews before becoming an accountant. She met Geordie Carnarvon in 1996. After his father died, they took tenureship of the Highclere Castle.
"I liked it. I thought it was good. Quite interesting, actually. I guess it was more about Lady Almina's life, but more about the downstairs people and how their roles changed through the time periods would have been interesting too. My only complaint about this book was that the ending was a bit anti-climactic. You wait about half the book to hear about the discovery in Egypt and when they finally get there, it's brushed over in a couple of lines without much description or fanfare. But other than that, it was a very interesting biography."
— Arianne (4 out of 5 stars)
Publisher Summary
Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey tells the story behind Highclere Castle, the real-life inspiration and setting for Julian Fellowes's Emmy Award–winning PBS show, and the life of one of its most famous inhabitants: Lady Almina, the fifth Countess of Carnarvon. 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 Cora Crawley, 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.
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“A fascinating look at the woman of the house who turned her castle into a hospital for wounded British soldiers returning from World War I.”
— USA Today -
“Almina was a woman of great charm and courage.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“Gives the juicy backstory behind last year’s Emmy-winning Masterpiece Theater drama.”
— New York Times -
Gives the juicy back story behind last year's Emmy-winning Masterpiece Theater drama.
— The New York Times
Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey Listener Reviews
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" Thoroughly enjoyed this read. Not quite what I expected -- it was not as much about Highclere itself, but more as a backdrop to the turn of the century through WWI. There was quite a bit about the war itself and its impact on the household -- both those who served as well as those left on the homefront -- which I found quite interesting since I don't know a whole lot about that era. Well written and nicely paced. I recommend even for those who are not faithful fans of Downton Abbey! "
— Susan, 2/16/2014 -
" Liked the knowing the history and people behind the "real" Downton Abbey,... just don't care for fiction. "
— Courtney, 2/12/2014 -
" Excellent. Absolutely excellent. Review forthcoming. "
— Beth, 2/10/2014 -
" Exceptional book! Could not put it down. Did not realize the Earl financed King Tuts excavation. Fascinating read! Wonderful book "
— Aley, 2/1/2014 -
" Enlighting...I had not connected the name with Tutankamen (sp). What a history! "
— Delta, 1/26/2014 -
" Love stories about the history of these old families. "
— Amy, 1/24/2014 -
" while the beginning was great as it outlined their early years, I found the war years a bit slow and tedious. But then things picked back up at the end. "
— Adrien, 1/19/2014 -
" A really interesting read about English life in Victorian/Edwardian days through shortly after WWI. The current tie to the "Downton Abbey" series and the always interesting story of the discovery of the discovery of "King Tut's tomb" make it doubly interesting. "
— Jim, 1/19/2014 -
" I really enjoyed this book....very interesting family. "
— Edna, 12/23/2013 -
" This book took me by surprise. As a fan of Downton Abbey, I thought that I would enjoy the book for its connection to the television series. But I found the true story of Lady Almina and her family, as they intersected with historical events and history-makers, to be riveting. A must read!! "
— Sari, 12/17/2013 -
" interesting woman and interesting era. "
— Kristin, 12/16/2013 -
" I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun history lesson. I learned a lot about a topic that I still feel I know very little about. I think those who like the show would love it even more. I solid 3 1/2 stars "
— Donna, 12/11/2013 -
" I enjoyed this book, and learned some things from it. An interesting read. "
— Kristina, 12/2/2013 -
" Interesting book - again quite different from the tv show but still full of information about the castle. "
— Janet, 9/23/2013 -
" This is worth reading if you LOVE Downton Abbey and if you enjoy history. You have to be willing to overlook the poor writing. It has some wonderful pictures of the fam. Borrow it instead of buying it if you can! "
— Sheri, 6/13/2013 -
" Loved it. Quite the page turner. Downton Abbey fans will be shocked and surprised how much the true story resembles the fictional one. "
— Susan, 4/22/2013 -
" This was definitely more of a biography and not that well written. It was interesting learning about lady almina, but kinda slow. "
— Katie, 1/2/2013 -
" First half was quick reading and fairly interesting, but then the book began to drag and drone on and on. "
— Mrsireland, 11/25/2012 -
" I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's a must read for any true Downton Abbey addict. "
— Melanie, 11/17/2012 -
" One of my favorite books. So fascinating. "
— Carrie, 9/17/2012 -
" The true story is even more fascinating than the story shown on Downton Abby. "
— Carolyn, 9/4/2012 -
" This book rambles a bit but it fascinating to hear about really rich people. "
— Kaye, 5/21/2012 -
" Fascinating story whether you are a fan of Downton Abbey or not... "
— Daisy, 5/10/2012 -
" I loved thisbook. she is my hero from all her charity work. downtown abbey is loosely based on this story. "
— Jeralyn, 4/11/2012 -
" This gave me good insight into life during the time period and how they lived their lives. I especially enjoyed hearing about the Earl's role in finding King Tut's tomb. I never realized how long they searched and to realize they almost gave up....interesting. "
— Stacy, 3/31/2012
About The Countess of Carnarvon
Fiona the Eighth Countess of Carnarvon married Geordie, the Eighth Early of Carnarvon in 1999, and they took over Highclere after the death of Geordie’s father. Highclere has become one of the most famous houses in England, as the central character in the series Downton Abbey.
About Wanda McCaddon
Wanda McCaddon (d. 2023) narrated well over six hundred titles for major audiobook publishers, sometimes with the pseudonym Nadia May or Donada Peters. She earned the prestigious Audio Award for best narration and numerous Earphones Awards. She was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine.