From the description at Goodreads:
From the cook, butler, and housekeeper to the footman, lady's maid and nanny, this is a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes of some of Britain's grandest houses. An entertaining social history, steering the reader through the minefield of etiquette and hierarchy that kept Britain's great houses running like clockwork. A bygone era is brought vividly to live through letters, journals, interviews, lively descriptions, and stunning photography of the places and possessions left behind.This was a fascinating look at the daily lives of the many people who kept grand houses running for their wealthy owners. It covers how and why people entered into service, and how they might rise through the more menial jobs to jobs that had a bit more freedom and responsibility. So many facts in this book were amazing to me, and in many cases appalling. How much the servants lives were controlled, how little time they had to themselves. As noted in the subtitle this covers the Edwardian and Victorian periods.
The book described the levels within the servant classes and which servants interacted with the employers and which ones were supposed to be unseen by the residents of the house. It was funny at times (mostly due to quotes from actual servants) but also sobering to think of the demanding and demeaning lives that they led. The photographs of rooms used by servants, items of clothing, etc. were a bonus. This was the perfect mix of information and anecdotes about the subject and very readable.
Inevitably, I learned more about the world during that time from reading this book, such as types of transportation and more about life in country homes. I was especially interested in the last chapter on how World War I affected the serving classes and the owners of the grand homes and how it eventually decreased the availability of servants, as the servants began to see other opportunities opening up.
Reading this book whetted my appetite for a more in-depth book about this topic, so I am also planning to read another of my husband's books about this subject: Servants: A Downstairs History of Britain from the Nineteenth-Century to Modern Times by Lucy Lethbridge. He also has several books on country homes and I am going to have to read some of those, also.
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Publisher: National Trust, 2011.
Length: 187 pages
Format: Hardcover
Setting: UK
Genre: Nonfiction, Social History.
Source: Borrowed from my husband.
