As a prelude to this season's Downton Abbey, I decided to read one of the books that Julian Fellowes apparently used as an inspiration for his Edwardian stories. Lacking the social status of established wealthy families in American society, the Buccaneers looked to England to find their nouveau-riche daughters husbands truly worthy of fresh American wealth. The English aristocracy, likewise, appreciated the American infusion of dollars and genetics into their established order, egged on by no less than the Prince of Wales himself (who was the ultimate party guy of late 19th century society). While there were lots of juicy details about affairs both romantic and business-oriented, there was a lot of repetition of dull factoids that really did nothing to enhance the narrative (yes, we GET that Worth was the great couturier to the rich and famous, DO something with the anecdotes). If you're wild for Edwardian minutae, this covers the upper class quite nicely. Compliment this on your bookcase with a copy of Below Stairs: The Classic Kitchen Maid's Memoir so that you can see what life was like for the servants that made this sort of lifestyle possible.