Great Houses of England & Wales, by Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd and Christopher Simon Sykes, Laurence King Publishers, 424 pages, $78.
There is no doubt that the success of the television series Downton Abbey has sparked renewed interest in the great houses of Britain.
Highclere Castle, the setting for that show, is one of the 32 great houses featured in this book.
Considered by many to be national treasures, these great houses were cornerstones of the wealth of noble families as their land holdings were always deemed to be their most important asset.
The lives of those family members born into a lifestyle most cannot imagine has always made for fascinating reading and the authors include many interesting details about them.
The houses are presented in chronological order, which provides a chance to look at the evolution of these buildings from the early fortresses to the lavish homes and gardens that followed.
Each one is described in detail, showcasing both their history and architectural significance.
The collection is packaged in a book as lavish as the topic with beautiful colour photographs providing a tour of both the grounds and important rooms inside.
