{"product_id":"secrets-english-country-house-year-mapperton-9781836007289-new","title":"Secrets of an English Country House: A Year at Mapperton","description":"\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"A beautiful book to have on your coffee table, especially if you love English country houses, gardens, and history.\" \u003c\/i\u003e - Luna Schot, @englishcountrysides \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStep inside a real English country house with Julie Montagu--Chicago-born countess and star of Bravo's \u003ci\u003eLadies of London\u003c\/i\u003e--as she reveals what it truly takes to run a historic estate today. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat's it really like to live in and be responsible for one of England's great country houses? In \u003ci\u003eSecrets of an English Country House\u003c\/i\u003e, Julie Montagu \u003cb\u003eopens the doors of Mapperton\u003c\/b\u003e, the 1,900-acre estate she and her husband Luke Montagu, Earl of Sandwich, took over in 2016. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFar from the fantasy of aristocratic ease, Julie shares the \u003cb\u003ehands-on reality of modern estate life\u003c\/b\u003e: restoring historic rooms, conserving priceless objects, opening the house to the public, launching a rewilding project, and balancing tradition with the demands of the twenty-first century. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOrganised around the changing seasons, you will discover: \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eAn American perspective\u003c\/b\u003e on adapting to one of Britain's most tradition-bound worlds. \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e The \u003cb\u003eday-to-day realities\u003c\/b\u003e of running a working estate.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e The \u003cb\u003ehidden histories of Mapperton and the Montagu family\u003c\/b\u003e, revealed through letters, paintings, clothing, and archives.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e What it takes to \u003cb\u003erestore and maintain a centuries-old house\u003c\/b\u003e while welcoming visitors.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlong the way, Julie brings the past vividly to life, \u003cb\u003euncovering extraordinary stories\u003c\/b\u003e hidden in the house's archives and discovering a kindred spirit in Alberta Montagu, 9th Countess of Sandwich, the Gilded Age American heiress who has redefined the Dollar Princess narrative.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePart memoir, part social history, and part country-house chronicle, this is an essential read for those fascinated by British history, grand houses, and the people working to preserve them for the future. \u003c\/b\u003e","brand":"FRANCES LINCOLN","offers":[{"title":"New","offer_id":67625087238434,"sku":"9781836007289-new","price":34.21,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0893\/4755\/5618\/files\/9781836007289.jpg?v=1793192797","url":"https:\/\/www.albakireads.com\/products\/secrets-english-country-house-year-mapperton-9781836007289-new","provider":"AlbakiReads","version":"1.0","type":"link"}