The household staff of Downton Abbey carry out their duties with effortless dignity, finesse and pride. Yet how do they know how exactly to lay the table, when to leave the room to give Lord and Lady Grantham their privacy, how to care for Lady Mary's furs and which uniform to wear when? This recently recovered and fascinating staff handbook answers all of these questions and more. Covering all the main positions of the Downton household - footman, lady's maid, housekeeper, groundsman and more - and with a general introduction for new members of staff from Carson the Butler, this book tells you everything you need to know about working below stairs in the grand estate of Downton Abbey.

This title takes the reader on a journey through the day in the life of the workings of homes during the Edwardian era. Starting with the work done by the servants before the family had even started to stir and culminating with the preparation and sophistication of a dinner party.

A lavish look at the real world—both the secret history and the behind-the-scenes drama—of the beloved Emmy Award–winning Masterpiece TV series. April 1912. The sun is rising behind Downton Abbey, a great and splendid house in a great and splendid park. So secure does it appear that it seems as if the way of life it represents will last for another thousand years. It won’t. Millions of American viewers were enthralled by the world of Downton Abbey, the mesmerizing TV drama of the aristocratic Crawley family—and their servants—on the verge of dramatic change. This gorgeous book—illustrated with sketches and research from the production team, as well as on-set photographs from the first two seasons—takes us even deeper into that world, with fresh insights into the story and characters as well as the social history.

Since the moment we first entered Downton Abbey in 1912, we have been swept away by Julian Fellowes' evocative world of romance, intrigue, drama and tradition. Now, in 1925, as Downton Abbey prepares to close its doors for the final time, Jessica Fellowes leads us through the house and estate, reliving the iconic moments of the wonderfully aristocratic Crawley family and their servants as they navigate the emerging modern age. Travelling from Great Hall to servants' hall, bedroom to boot room, we glimpse as we go Matthew and Isobel Crawley arriving for the first time, the death of Kemal Pamuk, Cora's tragic miscarriage, Edith's affair with Michael Gregson, Mary's new haircut, Thomas and O'Brien's scheming, Anna and Bates's troubles with the law, and Carson's marriage to Mrs Hughes. Alongside this will be in-depth interviews with the cast who have worked on the show for six years and know it so well. Packed full of stunning location shots and stills from all six series of the show including exclusive behind-the-scenes photography, this celebratory book is the ultimate gift for Downton Abbey fans the world over.

The most successful British television drama of our time, the multi-award-winning Downton Abbey has become a national phenomenon in the U.S. as well. Created by Julian Fellowes—who received an Academy Award for his screenplay for the acclaimed Robert Altman motion picture, Gosford Park—Downton Abbey features stellar performances, ravishing sets and costumes, and, most importantly, absolutely riveting plots. Now the scripts for the entire first season have been collected in one volume, along with never before seen material, incisive commentary, and color photos that will completely immerse fans in the world of Downton Abbey.

The best one-liners and caustic quips from all six seasons of Downtown Abbey, with full-color photographs throughout

Step back a hundred years to the world of the pampered, privileged upper classes and look inside Downton Abbey to find out exactly what goes on behind the magisterial doors of TV's favourite stately home. They were the super rich of their times, pampered beyond belief - the early 20th century Edwardian gentry, who lived like superstars, their every desire or need catered to by an army of butlers, servants, footmen, housekeepers and grooms. Class, money, inheritance, luxury and snobbery dominated every aspect of the lives of the upper crust Edwardian family, led by Robert Crawley, The Earl of Grantham - played in the hit show by Hugh Bonneville. While below stairs the staff, including Carson the Butler (Jim Carter), Bates the Valet (Brendan Coyle), O'Brien the Ladies' Maid (Siobhan Finneran), and Daisy the Kitchen Maid (Sophie McSherra), inhabited a completely different world, their very lives dependent on servicing the rich, pandering to their masters' every whim, rubbing shoulders with wealth and privilege, privy to their most intimate and darkest secrets - yet faced ruin and shame if they ventured to make the smallest step outside the boundaries of their class ridden world. From manners and morals to etiquette and style, The Real Life Downton Abbey opens the doors to TV's favourite stately home.