Once again, by a happy accident, an extraordinary book has fallen into my hands. An extract, published by The Times as part of the promotion for its forthcoming release, was enough: having read that brief sample, I ordered the book in advance without further hesitation. A few days ago, I finished reading this substantial volume of 656 pages.
Every lover of books knows that peculiar feeling of emptiness which follows the final line of a truly absorbing read. It does not happen often, for one does not often come across a book capable of drawing one almost entirely into its world. Eleanor Doughty’s “Heirs & Graces. A History of the Modern British Aristocracy” is unquestionably such a work.
The author, a young British journalist, born in 1992, has written the “Great Estates” column for The Telegraph since 2017. She has also contributed to numerous publications, including The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph, Financial Times, The Spectator, Country Life, The Times, The Sunday Times, Tatler, The Field, The Critic, The Week, The Oldie, and others.
She specialises in the British aristocracy and landed gentry, the rural economy, and stately and country houses and their owners. She is also a consultant to the prestigious Debrett’s Peerage. Continue reading ARMARIA recommends: Eleanor Doughty: “Heirs & Graces: A History of the Modern British Aristocracy”
