Lady Catherine, the Earl, and the Real Downton Abbey

By: The Countess of Carnarvon

Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon

Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

Lady Catherine, the Earl, and the Real Downton Abbey tells the story behind Highclere Castle, the setting for Julian Fellowes’s Emmy Award-winning PBS show Downton Abbey, and the life of one of its most famous inhabitants, Catherine Wendell.

In this transporting companion piece to the New York Times bestseller Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey, Catherine, a beautiful and spirited American woman who married Lady Almina’s son, the man who would become the 6th Earl of Carnarvon, presides over the grand estate during a tumultuous time for the British aristocracy. Following the First World War, many of the great houses of England faded as their owners fortunes declined in the new political and social world of the 1920s and 1930s. As war loomed, Highclere’s survival as the family home of the Carnarvons was again in the balance—as was peace between the nations of Europe.

Using copious materials—including diaries and scrapbooks—from the castle’s archives, the current Countess of Carnarvon brings alive a very modern story in a beautiful and fabled setting, paying particular attention to the staff who provide Highclere Castle with continuity between generations.

©1988 Fiona Carnarvon (P)2013 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"A dynamic performance by Wanda McCaddon brings the real Downton Abbey, Highclere Castle, to life in this marvelous audiobook. Whether she's describing catastrophic events or everyday occurrences in the lives of the Carnarvons, McCaddon delivers.... Listeners hear Winston Churchill's booming voice and Lady Catherine's subtly nuanced expressions as if they're privy to their real-life conversations." (AudioFile Magazine)

“Gossipy and fun, with a good history lesson - sure to delight Downton Abbey fans.” (Kirkus Reviews)

Pleasant Historical Bio

Like its predecessor book about the wife of the 5th earl of Carnargon, this is an enjoyable and accessible telling of the adult lives of the 6th earl, with a focus on his first wife, and to a lesser extent of the history of Highclere Castle during the 6th earl's lifetime. A surprising but informative bonus is the detail about life in England during World War II. Well done.

History

This is not a book for fans of Downton Abbey. It is the history of a family and a property. Both family and property played an important role in the history of England. For fans of history, the Countess’s notes will expand insights of relationships from gamekeepers and housemaids to the queen. If history bores, pass it by.

A WHO'S WHO OF OLD ENGLISH SOCIETY

What did you love best about Lady Catherine, the Earl, and the Real Downton Abbey?

The story was a snapshot of society at the time.

What did you like best about this story?

Listening to the little vignettes of English society.

Have you listened to any of Wanda McCaddon’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

There isn't enough substance to the story to make a movie.

wonderful!

The real story of the castle is awesome! I loved the history of both world wars behind it.

More Fascinating Tales From Highclere

If you could sum up Lady Catherine, the Earl, and the Real Downton Abbey in three words, what would they be?

History, family, society

What was one of the most memorable moments of Lady Catherine, the Earl, and the Real Downton Abbey?

Spoiler alert!


Porchie's affairs, the scandal with Almina' second husband/his ex-wife.

Which scene was your favorite?

Spoiler alert!


Catherine's second marriage.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

While I did enjoy this book, I found it just a tiny bit less compelling than Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey.

Very interesting but focused on the house

I felt this story was richer in the beginning but at a point focused on the house and not the person/ I felt she slipped away toward the end.

good but not great

more history than novel. interesting but a personal disappointment. Was not riveting like some historical romance novels of the period. Definately not Jane Austen or similar works.

A great Downtown fix!!

A greatbook for Downtown Abby fans and history buffs. The narration was a wonderful balance of accent and inflection that draws the listener in!

Very informational

Very informational. If you like war history, you’ll love this book. It reads a little long, though.

A documentary reading without photos

Very dry. The reader was good but little to keep my attention for hours and hours. I could not listen to hours and hours and hours of this story any longer about people that I don’t know.