‘Downton Abbey’ exclusive: Take a look inside the latest companion book

Downton Abbey CastAre you a “Downton Abbey” fan, or are some of your closest friends and family members? If so, and you want to ensure that you and everyone close to you is ready for the launch of season 3 in America on Sunday, January 6, there is something that really should be a necessity on your holiday shopping list: The Chronicles of Downton Abbey: A New Era by Jessica Fellowes (journalist and niece of show creator Julian Fellowes, who pens the book’s Foreword) and Matthew Sturgis.

The book, which arrived earlier this month in North America following its release in Great Britain in September, is the latest literary companion to the Emmy-winning show that provides some insight into not just the time period (circa 1920) that we will see in season 3, but also the characters that we have come to love in between the Dowager Countess Violet, Matthew Crawley, Lord Grantham, and many others. There are descriptions of the clothing that these people would wear, details of their activities and interests, and of course a few plot hints here and there for those of you American readers who have been lucky to avoid spoilers from across the pond. Basically, think of it as a combination of character study and a look into an era, which is always welcome for those unfamiliar with British history who still love watching the show.

Chronicles of DowntonJust to give you a small visual taste of just what sort of content is within the pages of the book, we are lucky enough to have an exclusive excerpt that you can view in the slideshow box below. It should not only give you an idea just what Fellowes and Sturgis are hoping to achieve with The Chronicles, but also immerse you back into the world of Downton for a few minutes. (You can expand it to view full-screen.)

We’re also going to have an exclusive interview with Jessica Fellowes about the book coming up soon, so be sure to be on the lookout for that here on the site. (Or, as always, you can follow our Twitter page for updates.) Of course, you can also check out the latest on Julian Fellowes’ potential new project at NBC over at this link.

Photo: ITV

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