What To Read After Downton Abbey - part one

I was enthralled by the world of Downton Abbey (M), the TV drama of the aristocratic family and their servants on the brink of dramatic events. Set in Great Britain at a fictional country estate, the story begins with the news of the sinking of the Titanic and spanning the years through World War I. And..., oh, those dresses!

You might find yourself feeling sad to be leaving Great Britain in the 1910s again. The following books can fill the emptiness left by beloved characters until the premiere of Series 3 in September 2012.

If you are interested in. . . the exploration of the effects of WWI on society
then you might like . . .

Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey : the lost legacy of Highclere Castle (M) by The Countess of Carnarvon.

The Return of Captain John Emmett (M) by Elizabeth Speller.

Maisie Dobbs (M) mystery series by Jacqueline Winspear.

The classic portrait of upper-middle-class life in Victorian England is shown in The Forsyte Saga (M) by John Galsworthy. 

At The Going Down of The Sun (M) by Elizabeth Darrell tells the story of three privileged brothers who enlist in the war and what the experience does to them.

The Sisters: the saga of the Mitford family (M) by Mary Lovell.

George, Nicholas and Wilhelm: three Royal Cousins and the road to World War I (M) by Miranda Carter. The book is about the famous first cousins: King George V of Britain, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia.