Stephanie Forrest

The American's Guide to Downton Abbey: Season 5 Stephanie Forrest

Publisher Marketing: Downton Abbey fans, rejoice! This is the ultimate guide to becoming an expert in our favorite rich but dysfunctional, loving but quarrelsome, and small but growing family across the pond, the Crawleys! Use this guide as a time machine to whisk you away to Downton, circa the 1920s. What makes Downton so endearing to us is that it gives us a peek into the fantasy life of titles, etiquette, estates, dinner parties, Butlers, maids, and everything in between? At the same time, it shows us real and normal family problems, a secret child, an unwanted bride, a secret love affair (actually two), a dying pet, and more. I'm sure you know the names and titles of the major characters in the series. I'll even venture to think that you know each of their backgrounds and history. However, true diehard fans will want to know more than that. Anna's bobby, Lady Violet's reticule, Lord Tony's wangling, and Jimmy, a dandy. What on earth do these words mean? They may be English words, but they sound so foreign! Half of the time we can't understand what they just said, and the other half we don't know what they mean! What makes the series very special is that although it's set in a fictional world, it's still grounded in the real events of that time, and often takes inspiration from the real owners of Downton, a.k.a. Highclere Castle. From this guidebook, learn how to do proper English afternoon tea courtesy of Lady Violet's standards (Pour the tea first? Good heavens, no.) You will also know, if by some chance you get to meet one, how to address a real-life Lord Robert (calling him Lord Robert isn't proper, by the way). You may also want to use Carson's stick and gong (No, I'm not being vulgar). So what are you waiting for? Ring the Footman for your tea, have a maid prop up your pillow, and get this behind and beyond the scenes gook to satisfy your Downton Abbey curiosities! Get your copy now! Contributor Bio:  Forrest, Stephanie Stephanie Forrest is Professor and Chairman of Computer Science at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque and a Research Professor at the Santa Fe Institute.