The world of Downton Abbey fascinates audiences across the globe. Now, in this gorgeously illustrated book, we can delve deeper into the life of the house and those who work so hard to keep it running like clockwork, both above and below stairs. All the major events and seasons of the Great House are covered here - Christmas, Easter, the debutante season, the summer fete, harvest, the hunt and more. Through the prism of the house we also learn more about the lives of our favourite characters - just how Mrs Patmore keeps the kitches stocked and the menus varied, how Anna cares for and sources Lady's Mary's gorgeous dresses, how the gardeners keep the estate beautiful and productive all year round - and there are delicious traditional recipes for each calendar month too. Beautifully designed with exclusive new material throughout, this is the perfect present for any Downton fan.
Author of the worldwide no.1 bestsellers The World of Downton Abbey and its follow-up, The Chronicles of Downton Abbey, Jessica is the niece of the hit series' creator, Julian Fellowes. Jessica started as a journalist at the Mail on Sunday, going on to be the Deputy Editor of Country Life magazine, before deciding to focus on books. She has also co-written The Devil You Know: Looking Out for the Psycho in Your Life, with forensic psychologist Kerry Daynes, and Build A Business From Your Kitchen Table, ghostwritten for the founders of notonthehighstreet.com, Sophie Cornish and Holly Tucker. Her first book was Mud & the City: Dos and Don'ts for Townies in the Country. Jessica also writes for The Daily Telegraph, Sunday Times Style, The Lady, Psychologies and The Times. In demand as a speaker, Jessica talks at literary festivals from Scarborough to Cheltenham and appears on numerous radio and TV programmes from BBC Breakfast to BBC4's 'Never Mind the Full Stops' via Radio 5 Live. She was also the regular paper reviewer for Nick Ferrari's LBC Breakfast Show for two years. Recently, Jessica has also been doing extensive talks in the USA, focusing on Downton Abbey and the historical context of the show. Jessica's work for the Downton Abbey books means she has done in-depth research into the social history of the early 20th century, particularly the changes that women were experiencing then, as well as looking at the correlation between the great leaps in technology that were happening then and how similar it feels today. Jessica was brought up in London, with long summer holidays in the wilds of Kerry, Ireland. She now lives in Oxfordshire and Notting Hill with her family.
