How the Country House Became English By Stephanie Barczewski - book review

Blenheim Palace. ChatsworthHouse. Downton Abbey. The English landscape is littered with names that projecta certain image of Englishness. Like those names I just listed, this imageblends reality and fiction, and is maintained by its consistent manufacture onscreen, in literature and as tourist attractions.

To many inside this country,and beyond, the country house is a dominant feature in the cultural fabric ofEngland. It’s up there with tea, rolling green hills and the Royal Family.

How...