Susan Robertson's Reviews > Servants: A Downstairs History of Britain from the Nineteenth-Century to Modern Times

I heard about this book on Fresh Air and since Downton Abbey is currently airing, I thought this book would be a compliment to the show. I thoroughly enjoyed this social history. Service for many was the last possible option among working class people. Referred to as "skivvies" by their working class counterparts, those in service were viewed as contributing to the problem of class stratification. The resistance on the part of the aristocracy to adopt labor saving devices was based on the belief such devices would make their servants lazy and soft. Also, service in a middle class home was one of the worst positions to hold. Keeping up appearances necessitated a servant forgoing other basic needs to pay the meager wages for the all-purpose cook-maid. These women worked long hours and suffered repeated humiliation from their employers. Lethbridge is an engaging writer and uses voices of those who served to enrich the story. I highly recommend this this book.