The Manor: Three Centuries at a Slave Plantation on Long Island

The Manor: Three Centuries at a Slave Plantation on Long Island
Author: Mac Griswold
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Total Pages: 482
Release: 2013-07-02
Genre: History
ISBN: 1466837012

Mac Griswold's The Manor is the biography of a uniquely American place that has endured through wars great and small, through fortunes won and lost, through histories bright and sinister—and of the family that has lived there since its founding as a Colonial New England slave plantation three and a half centuries ago. In 1984, the landscape historian Mac Griswold was rowing along a Long Island creek when she came upon a stately yellow house and a garden guarded by looming boxwoods. She instantly knew that boxwoods that large—twelve feet tall, fifteen feet wide—had to be hundreds of years old. So, as it happened, was the house: Sylvester Manor had been held in the same family for eleven generations. Formerly encompassing all of Shelter Island, New York, a pearl of 8,000 acres caught between the North and South Forks of Long Island, the manor had dwindled to 243 acres. Still, its hidden vault proved to be full of revelations and treasures, including the 1666 charter for the land, and correspondence from Thomas Jefferson. Most notable was the short and steep flight of steps the family had called the "slave staircase," which would provide clues to the extensive but little-known story of Northern slavery. Alongside a team of archaeologists, Griswold began a dig that would uncover a landscape bursting with stories. Based on years of archival and field research, as well as voyages to Africa, the West Indies, and Europe, The Manor is at once an investigation into forgotten lives and a sweeping drama that captures our history in all its richness and suffering. It is a monumental achievement.

Manor Houses of England

Manor Houses of England
Author: Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd
Publisher: Vendome Press
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2002-12-01
Genre: Art
ISBN: 9780865651562

Most still privately owned, these manor houses are scattered all over England, & range from simple Norman halls to picturesque Tudor homes, many dating from the reign of the Stuarts.

Death at a Country Mansion

Death at a Country Mansion
Author: Louise R. Innes
Publisher: Kensington
Total Pages: 242
Release: 2020-12-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1496729803

“First in a new series…this lively cozy has glamour, intrigue, and romance.” —Booklist Fans of Agatha Christie won’t want to miss this delightful new mystery set in the charming village of Edgemead in Surrey, England, where you’ll find the latest styles, the juiciest gossip—and the most tantalizing murder clues… No one would ever accuse famous opera star Dame Serena Levanté of lacking a flare for the dramatic. Unfortunately, it’s curtains down on the dysfunctional diva when she’s found dead at the bottom of a staircase in her elegant home. Solving an opera singer’s murder may not be the typical hairdresser’s aria of expertise. But Dame Serena was the mother of Daisy’s best friend Floria, so Daisy must do-or-dye her best to get to the roots of the case. When a priceless Modigliani painting in the house is reported missing, the mystery gets even more tangled. Even though the gruff but handsome Detective Inspector Paul McGuinness tells the stylist to stay out of his hair, Daisy is determined to make sure the killer faces a stern makeover—behind bars. “A promising debut with scads of interesting characters, a spirited heroine, and a hint of romance.” —Kirkus Reviews “Enjoyable…will appeal to readers of Elizabeth J. Duncan’s 'Penny Brannigan' mysteries.” —Library Journal “Death at a Country Mansion has more twists than a French braid.” —Sherry Harris “If you enjoy British manor houses, a touch of budding romance, and a good mystery (like I do), I highly recommend Death at a Country Mansion.” —Vikki Walton “A little romance, a little art history, and a gorgeous mansion . . . a page-turner that is fun and intriguing.” —ACF Bookens

Grace Under Pressure

Grace Under Pressure
Author: Julie Hyzy
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2010-06-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1101187891

From the author of the successful White House Chef mysteries. Everyone wants a piece of millionaire Bennett Marshfield, owner of Marshfield Manor, but now it's up to a new curator Grace Wheaton and handsome groundskeeper Jack Embers to protect dear old Marshfield. But to do this, they'll have to investigate a botched Ponzi scheme, some torrid Wheaton family secrets-and sour grapes out for revenge.

Waddesdon Manor

Waddesdon Manor
Author: Michael Hall
Publisher: Scala Books
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2009
Genre: Architecture, Domestic
ISBN: 9781857596236

Waddesdon Manor is one of the most extraordinary houses in England. Over 125 years ago, Baron Ferdinand Rothschild transformed a barren hill in the countryside outside London into the setting for this breathtaking estate. Over the years, he assembled an