Fiona CarnarvonBesprekingen

Beside being the tied in to Downton Abbey, who remembers that Lord Carnarvon was one of the discoverers of Tutankhamun's tomb? This is a quick insiders view into his family and life and background and world. A nice, chatty, not very deep account of Highclere castle and its inhabitants during the turn and early 20th century.

A good biography of the famous Earl of Carnarvon who helped in the discovery of the tomb of the fabled and legendary Tutankhamun. This is so much more than just the famous discovery. I definitely enjoyed learning about Carnarvon's early history. The attention to detail is made so much better by the author's being able to delve into the family archives to get to the bottom of what life was like during the time.

Enjoyable reading.½

Lady Fiona Carnarvon se convirtió en señora de Highclere Castle –escenario de la exitosa serie Downton Abbey– hace ocho años. En este periodo ha llegado a sentir fascinación por la interesante historia de Highclere y por las extraordinarias personas que han residido allí a lo largo de los siglos.
Pero una persona en particular captó el interés de Fiona: lady Almina, la quinta condesa de Carnarvon.
Almina fue la hija ilegítima del magnate de la banca Alfred de Rothschild. Fue su única hija y objeto de devoción por su parte. A los diecinueve años, con una inmensa dote, se casó con el quinto conde de Carnarvon.
Al principio, la vida en Highclere transcurrió en una vertiginosa sucesión de suntuosos banquetes para quinientas personas e incluso algún que otro invitado real.
Almina supervisó a ochenta empleados, muchos de los cuales procedían de familias que llevaban generaciones trabajando en Highclere.
Pero el estallido de la Primera Guerra Mundial cambió para siempre la vida en Highclere, tanto arriba como abajo.

So many people have found the Downton Abbey drama on PBS a fascinating series and I am one of them. Along with the interesting characters, the castle itself is almost a character. Built on a massive scale, Highclere Castle is a masterpiece of elegance. Its hundreds of windows and tall corner turrets scream an overwhelming message of power. So, it was with great joy that I jumped into this volume with eagerness to find out about the backstory and history of this amazing castle.

I was not disappointed. My first surprise was that Almina, who was soon to become Lady Almina, the 5th Countess of Carnarvon, was only 19 years old when she married. As in the Downton Abbey story, the major reason for this marriage was the wealth that Almina could bring to the castle. (Lady Cora Crowley is an American who brings a large dowry to her marriage on the television show.) The fact that Almina was the illegitimate daughter of an extremely wealthy man didn’t seem to faze the aristocracy of the era. I found the details of how she took over the running of the household, even accomplishing a complete redecoration for the purpose of entertaining the Prince of Wales within a few months of her marriage, to be mind boggling.

The story of how she turned the castle into a hospital during World War I was riveting. The care that was taken of these damaged young men, even so far as to hire pretty nurses and outfit them in smart-looking uniforms so that the men could be surrounded by beautiful sights, was a story I had never heard before.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in English history, strong women, and the life of glamorous society at the turn of the century.

I received this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.

This was a beautiful book! I’m a fan of Downton Abbey and always wondered about the history behind it plus I love Christmas so this book combines the two in the best way possible. Also includes some lovely festive recipes.

Quite interesting, especially in the light of having just read [b:The Visitors|18362312|The Visitors|Sally Beauman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1377285696s/18362312.jpg|25963800] and spent a little time with the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, father of this one. Another contributing factor in my enjoyment was my passion for Downton Abbey. I was fascinated by how many of the plot twists in that story were ripped right from the true experiences of these people and their magnificent estate.

The book is historically accurate in every detail that I could personally verify. Lady Carnarvon had access to all the historical records and artifacts of the home and that must have helped tremendously in fleshing out these people and detailing life at Highclere. There are all the usual spottings of the rich and famous, coming and going at Highclere, particularly during World War II, but there is also enough beneath the surface revelation on Lady Catherine and the Earl to make them seem individual and not stereotypes.

Fascinating, though you must have seen the film or the TV series first. Lady Fiona Carnavaron makes an enthusiastic and true description of the life and people at Highclere castle.
Almina was an extraordinary, very reach and talented person and put herself at work on behalf of the first war world soldiers, making truly the difference, although thanks to the Rothschild's money.
One can recognize the different characters inspired by her, such as Rose, the young lady who ends up marrying a Jewish banker; lady Sybill beautiful young woman caring for political women rights and hospital service, lady Cora, always taking care of her husband and relatives, lady Isabel Crawly which is part Almina and part Elisabeth, widow of the fourth Count and last not list lady Violet Crawley, who lived very long counseling her son. I might not have guessed all the true characters but I really enjoyed the book,

This astounding account of Lady Almina and Highclere Castle is rich in atmosphere and dense with details. Meticulously researched, we learn about the life of Lady Almina from the time of her marriage to the Earl of Carnarvon, on through The Great War, to the discovery of King Tut’s tomb by the Earl, and then his untimely death, at which time she must relinquish her control of the castle. There are a lot of details about many of the people who were friends of the Lady Almina and her husband, and about various events. But much of the book centers around the Great War and the charitable efforts of Lady Almina. She turned the castle into a hospital for wounded soldiers and funded much of this cost herself, as well as devoting herself to nursing the sick and wounded. Also explored in detail is the search by her husband for an intact Egyptian tomb, which was finally successful with the discovery of King Tut’s tomb. According to this book, Almina was certainly a force to be reckoned with, and kind and gracious as well as giving when dealing with the needs of others. This well written book is quite captivating, much like the Lady herself.

Really enjoyable book — manages to cover biographies for several people in a complex time with clarity and great flow. Source materials are seamlessly integrated. I recommend this also as a compact synopsis of the Second World War — covers it thoroughly, while centering personal recollections, which just brings the history home. Audio book well narrated, too — hard to put down.

I enjoy these great house histories. Even though I discovered afterwards that the book was somewhat controversial for the rosy picture painted of Almina, I think it was a well told story with a kind point of view, and I appreciate that.

I was mildly disappointed that some of the historical photographs she describes are not included in the book, but on the whole, just a really enjoyable read.

Enjoyed this book very much. As a fan of Downton Abbey and also of Egyptology, this book was very interesting. It held my interest from page 1 and I read it in less than a day. Just did not want to put it down. It is written by the current Countess and even though I found some small errors, such as picture captions, etc., she does a very good job of describing the life of Almina. The book's timeframe is basically the same as the TV series Downton Abbey so it was fun to read how the actual inhabitants of Highclere lived and realize that their lifestyle if anything was even grander than what is depicted in the show. And then of course you have Lord Carnarvon and his interest in Egyptology which led to the discovery of the tomb of Tutanhkamun. Highly recommend to anyone who is interested in these subjects and wants a fun read.

Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey - The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle by Lady Fiona Carnarvon (the 8th Countess of Carnarvon) was an enjoyable read.

It tells the story of Highclere Castle, which was the setting for Julian Fellowes’ show Downton Abbey and the “real” reason I picked up this book!😂

However, it mainly focuses on the life of Lady Almina, the illegitimate daughter of Alfred de Rothschild, who became the 5th Countess of Carnarvon (The only reason I indicate she was the “illegitimate” daughter, is that these things made a difference in Almina’s upper class world and highlights how her fortune helped her transcend this social strata…it always comes down to money!lol). She was a pampered and spoiled woman but went on to do some good things like set up a hospital and continue to financially support Howard Carter’s work after opening the tomb of Tutankhamun’s in 1922 (the Egyptian government repaid her for these expenses).

The title draws you with “Highclere” and does not disappoint with providing details, but I wish it had more accounts of life “downstairs” (which is where I would have been in those times!😅) I also felt that, since Almina became its focus (which I was totally ok with), the author should have continued to provide more accounts of her life even when no longer center stage for Highclere. Just left me hanging a bit. For example, Almina was involved in some high-profile court case initiated by her second husband’s first wife, and the book glosses over it. She married someone soon after Lord Carnarvon and I would have liked to read a bit more about it. I think she opened a second hospital and named it after her beloved father, and I wondered how she fared with that as well. Anyway…just a small gripe, as I did enjoy the book.

I picked up the book for Highclere, ended up fascinated by Almina, but it was realizing she was married to the guy that funded the excavation of Tutankhamun’s tomb that turned out to be a surprise for me.

I enjoyed reading about Highclere, but just like when I’ve read about Darcy’s home, Pemberley, in Pride of Prejudice, I’ve never had a longing to own or live in something so large. They have always seemed like “Entities” to me, so this quote about Highclere resonated with me: “A house such as Highclere, not to mention the other properties, was a responsibility as well as a privilege. The sense of custodianship that came with the inheritance meant that – to a larger extent – the Castle owned the family, rather than the other way around. Almina was key to securing its future, and she knew it.”
🏰
There are also other female characters in this book I would have liked to know better (understandably the author couldn’t focus on them), and will research later to include:
- The “indefatigable” Dowager Countess Elsie, who was 63 in 1919, but became vicechairman of the Vocal Therapy Society to help soldiers restore normal speech after injuries and trauma.
- Agnes Keyser: socialite, friend and lover of the Prince of Wales, who developed a vocation for nursing and set up a hospital.
🏰
The book makes reference to the Spanish flu sweeping through Europe after the war and how this “influenza pandemic [was] so deadly that it claimed more lives than the recently finished war.” – Reminds us of how cyclical everything is…even deadly pandemics. 😷

Quite a readable and interesting history of the setting for Downton Abbey- a portrait of the times and a moving reflection on the costs of WWI

Fascinating!

The current Countess of Carnarvon writes a history, somewhat focused on the life of Catherine, the (first) wife of the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, from 1920-1945. However, reading between the lines Catherine was mildly introverted and private leaving only limited records of her life and so ultimately the book is as much as about the Earl, their children, and occasionally their extended family as well as the staff at Highclere Castle. Into the second half of the book there's also a fair amount of general WWII history, useful as context for the events going on in the lives of the individuals the book is following but perhaps a bit more robust than needed. The slightly meandering focus aside, the book is well written as a popular history and the historical photos included are worth the price of admission. Not a read for the serious historian but for the fan of Downton Abbey who this book is truly aimed at, it's a pretty decent read.

This books gives excellent and crucial info on this time period, home and ancestors alive at this time. It's just extremely dry and not enough on what I was intetested in and too much focus on name dropping.

Fascinating!

This book was fascinating. I really enjoy watching Downton Abbey and when I saw this book I just had to have it. The details about the people living at Highclere Castle are amazing. It was definitely interesting to learn how even the upper class was affected so much by the First World War. The inner workings of the castle staff and the grounds and how much everything costs is just astounding. I found it rather interesting that the 5th Earl was one of the people who found the Tomb of King Tut. I really enjoy Egyptian history, so I may just have to check out the discovery of his Tomb.

A deeper look into one of the mistresses who "ran" Highclere Castle at the turn of the century and through World War I. Instantly recognizable as the setting of Downton Abbey one of the descendants and current occupants recounts some of the lost history of the estate. Lady Almira married the 5th Earl of Carnarvon and with it came the beautiful estate of Highclere. Lady Almira's family was a bit of a scandal BUT she was an heiress so her marrying into the family was a godsend for the estate. She knew how to throw lavish parties and always looked for a challenge. She turned the castle into a hospital during the war and considered it one of the highlights of her life. Her husband was infamous himself, he was the man who financed the King Tut excavation and discovery. A fascinating history that focuses more on the family than the house. There are a lot of parallels from the show to the real story which is cool. There are also TONS of photos which is nice. A must read for fans of Downton Abbey and Edwardian England!

not terribly thrilled with the book. It started out interestingly enough, though it seemed a little scattered. The book comes off as being somewhat superficial; giving basic facts, but not all of the truths. It was obvious Almina had no idea the amounts of money she was spending and the men around her didn't have the courage to tell her and pull the purse strings. Perhaps it was normal for people of her stature to sell their Van Dykes or antique furniture to pay their ridiculous debts?
There's a slight mention of her second husband after the death of her first husband the 5th Earl, but it was all sugar coated that Almina was friends with the first wife and everything was cordial. Not so. Almina convinced her second husband to take her "friend", his first wife to court for black mail.
There's also a question as to how much money she actually had. According to this book, she made a "sharp" deal with the Metropolitan Museum and the King Tut antiquities founded with her money, but the 5th Earl of Carnarvon was in partnership with Mr. Carter. According to another source, her only son considered his mother a "scheming swindler."
I wouldn't recommend buying this book, but if you're interested in the history of the WWI, then borrow it from the library.

De levensgeschiedenis van de 5de graaf van Carnarvon en zijn schatrijke vrouw Almina, onwettige dochter van Alfred Rothschild.

Love this book. From a genealogist point of view I love how the Countess writes the story of Lady Almina in a way that puts all the facts out there. And that it's almost like a fairytale at most or you may imagine that it's cousin Violet and her husbands story. Yes I'm a huge Downton Abbey fan. :) Now onto Lady Catherine.

Enjoyable read about the real Downton Abbey. Interesting historical view.

Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey tells the story behind Highclere Castle, the real-life inspiration and setting for Julian Fellowes's Emmy Award-winning PBS show Downton Abbey, and the life of one of its most famous inhabitants, Lady Almina, the 5th Countess of Carnarvon. Drawing on a rich store of materials from the archives of Highclere Castle, including diaries, letters, and photographs, the current Lady Carnarvon has written a transporting story of this fabled home on the brink of war.

I learned quite a bit about this Lady of Highclere castle. I had no idea that she was the widow of Lord Carnarvon of King Tut fame. She had a very interesting life and brought quite a bit of pizzazz to the society of that time. It is sad that her time as Lady of the castle was cut so short.