The Real Downton Abbey and the Genius of Stephen Hawking

Biographies are always popular books in a library and Swampscott is no exception. We constantly have the story of people’s lives in great demand.  Some of the more popular biographies right now are the following:

Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey : the lost legacy of Highclere Castle / by The Countess of Carnarvon. This book tells the story behind Highclere Castle which is the  real-life inspiration and setting for Julian Fellowes's Emmy Award-winning PBS show. It details the life of one of its most famous inhabitants, Lady Almina, the 5th Countess of Carnarvon. The popularity of the series Downton Abbey has generated a great deal of interest in this biography.

In keeping with the biographies of royalty, The Real Elizabeth , An Intimate Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Andrew Marr is another popular title. We know that Elizabeth is one of the longest reigning monarchs of England but not many people know the real Elizabeth. She holds her public persona up to visitors and countrymen alike. The author of this biography got a chance to get behind the mask of Elizabeth and show us another side of this famous queen. She is presented in this biography as a humorous caring person who continuously carries out her duties and never complains about the troubles that she has endured.

The End of Normal by Stephanie Madoff Mack is the biography of the daughter-in-law of Bernie Madoff. After learning of their father's deception and chicanery, Mark and Andrew Madoff turned him in and cut off all communication with both parents. Mark and his wife, Stephanie, the author of this book, tried to maintain a normal life for the sake of their two young children.  Mark could not overcome his sense of shame and so he eventually hanged himself on the second anniversary of his father’s arrest. Stephanie decided to write this book to give her two children a sense of who their father was. She gives us some insight into the lives of the rich and famous Madoffs. Anyone interested in the behind the scenes story of this infamous family will enjoy this biography.

Stephen Hawking: an unfettered mind by Kitty Ferguson is another popular title. Ferguson shows us Hawking the man.  She tells of his childhood and of his diagnosis at an early age of ALS. She also illustrates Hawking’s humorous side as she recounts his guest visits to The Simpsons and his appearance on Star Trek. Ferguson, whose background as a science writer, gives a helpful explanation of the physics behind Hawking’s great work. This is a perfect book for the nonscientist who wants to know a little about the genius of Stephen Hawking. 

This article was submitted by Alyce Deveau, director of the Swampscott Public Library.