It's well documented that this was the book that inspired Downton Abbey. So, what can I say? If you like digging into the real life history behind the entertainment you'll probably enjoy this book.

It explains why Anglo-American marriages were such a trend at the turn of the 20th century. It has to do with the Prince of Wales, the impoverished state of many British nobles, the perceived value of social status for the nouveaux riche, the snobbery of New York, and the cultural freshness of Americans.

While occasionally I noticed the book making some sweeping generalizations/stereotypes, and it was chronologically quite jumpy, overall it was interesting. Lots of photographs.