Product Description: One 19th century footman complained about the work involved in drawing more than 40 baths for his household, yet Lady Grenville felt no compunction in describing her footman as a "lazy flunkey". For centuries a large body of domestic servants was an often unappreciated foundation for the smooth running of a household...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Product Description: This best-selling book is a beautifully illustrated history of the English country house from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century. In it, renowned architectural historian Mark Girouard presents a rare and revealing glimpse of the English upper classes—their public and personal lives, their servants, and their homes...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

From literature, social chronicles, and family documents comes a study of the evolution and social role of the English country house since the Middle Ages