The World of Downton Abbey by Jessica Fellowes. St. Martin's Press, 304 pages, $34.50.
THIS colourful and detailed book opens the curtains on the aristocratic Crawley family offering a much greater look into the end of Edwardian England as depicted by this British television series.
Now into its second season, Downton Abbey attracts millions of viewers each week as they tune in to follow the lives of the wealthy Crawleys and their servants.
Keeping it in the family, author Jessica Fellowes, niece of the show's creator and writer, Julian Fellowes, has enjoyed complete access to the on-set production and the cast. The book is much more than an explanation of the series. Fellowes goes into great detail as she looks at the individual characters, their interaction, historical references and more.
Historical accuracy is important to the show's success and Fellowes' descriptions tell much about what goes into the adherence to it. Filled with both on camera and behind the scenes pictures, photographer Nick Briggs brings us right into the centre of the action.
Fellowes presents the material in themed chapters that look at the characters in context of such topics as Family Life, Romance, War, Society and more. The final chapter looks at the production design and various filming locations utilized by the company.
