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    The Long Weekend: Life in the English Country House, 1918-1939
    The Long Weekend: Life in the English Country House, 1918-1939
    The Long Weekend: Life in the English Country House, 1918-1939
    Audiobook11 hours

    The Long Weekend: Life in the English Country House, 1918-1939

    Written by Adrian Tinniswood

    Narrated by Steven Crossley

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    As World War I drew to a close, change reverberated through the halls of England's country homes. As the sun set slowly on the British Empire, the shadows lengthened on the lawns of a thousand stately homes.

    In The Long Weekend, historian Adrian Tinniswood introduces us to the tumultuous, scandalous, and glamorous history of English country houses during the years between world wars. As estate taxes and other challenges forced many of these venerable houses onto the market, new sectors of British and American society were seduced by the dream of owning a home in the English countryside. Drawing on thousands of memoirs, letters, and diaries, as well as the eye-witness testimonies of belted earls and bibulous butlers, Tinniswood brings the stately homes of England to life as never before, opening the door to a world by turns opulent and ordinary, noble and vicious, and forever wrapped in myth.

    Through the glitz of estate parties, the social tensions between old money and new, the hunting parties, illicit trysts, and grand feasts, Tinniswood offers a glimpse behind the veil of these great estates-and reveals a reality much more riveting than the dream.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateDec 27, 2016
    ISBN9781515987109
    The Long Weekend: Life in the English Country House, 1918-1939
    Author

    Adrian Tinniswood

    Adrian Tinniswood is a distinguished social, architectural and cultural historian. He is the author of The Long Weekend: Life in the English Country House 1918-1939. He was awarded an OBE for services to heritage in 2013.

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    Reviews for The Long Weekend

    3.5/5

    36 ratings3 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Possibly deserves a better rating than my 3* but it wasn't what I was expecting. I was expecting more about the weekenders and the visits and what went on during the weekend. A lot about architecture, buying and selling. And a lot more about southern rather than northern England though this may be because this is where these houses were situated. But some interesting anecdotes about the sexual intrigues of some familes. One I especially enjoyed was of Viscount Castlerosse who got himself into a nasty bunker and cried:"Oh, God come down and help me with this shot. And dnn't send Jesus. This is no job for a boy."
    • 4/5
      The book was sent to me by the publisher Perseus Books Group via Net Gallery. Thank you.The Long Weekend: Life in the English Country House 1918-1939 is an interesting look at the English country house between the two world wars. Although the existence of the traditional country house was doomed, the lifestyle had a last gasp in the inter-war period. In fact, some new grand homes were being built in the Modernist style and even a few neo-Georgian mansions sprang up. Still, country house living, with vast numbers of servants to sustain the estates, was inevitably going to cease. Even if death duties did not cripple the family, the lack of a support system did. There just was not enough staff available. Better paying jobs with better hours could be had in factories and offices for the kitchen maids, under gardeners, and footmen.One of the most interesting chapters was a description of the typical country weekend. A tremendous amount of energy was spent doing very little. Just the time wasted on changing outfits for various functions and meals was exhausting. And the vast amounts of food prepared and served with so much uneaten and thrown away seems ludicrous. Add this to the numbers of birds killed for sport, thousands in the game book in a season, and the 21st century’s conspicuous consumption pales in comparison to the 1920’s.Tinniswood covers various topics from the houses of the monarch and his offspring, the houses of politicians, the castles of the old nobility, and the great piles of the new millionaires like Mr Selfridge. Some had wonderful style and others did not, but all spent the equivalent of millions achieving the look they desired. Apparently, taxes were not high enough…. I enjoyed this book for a peek at a lifestyle that was unsustainable and ended with the second blow caused by WWII. Today most of the homes have been turned into hotels, schools, corporate headquarters . Some are lucky enough to be in the hands of the National Trust. Those remaining with families are supported by safari parks, garden centers, tourists, and film companies. I remember a statement by Evelyn Waugh’s daughter-in-law. Someone asked her how she could sell the family home which had seen such monumental literay events and historic moments. Her reply was that she enjoyed central heating, hot water with the twist of a tap, and plumbing that was reliable.I can’t help but feel that some owners who gave up their homes for smaller and more modern living quarters would agree with her.
    • 5/5
      An atmospheric, evocative history of the English Country House post first world war.The country was changing and people were also.Servant numbers had been dwindling even before the war, as factories were offering better money and even good working conditions.When the male staff members went to war and some didn't return, the owners of the big houses slowly sank into despair.Property developers were snapping at their heels also.A fascinating insight into the demise of these wonderful houses.Very highly recommended.I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Basic Books via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.