Ruhi Khan's trenchant analysis of the popularity of Downton Abbey persuasively interrogates the stakes of our obsession with lavish period dramas, showing that our desire to immerse ourselves within Edwardian splendour has much to do with neoliberal austerity and the economic precarity it produces. Offering a fantasy of stability and community, even as it naturalizes class and race hierarchies as both natural and just, the series rewrites the past as a way to foreclose our capacity to imagine the future. Khan's superb reading of the series and its political implications shows us how powerfully the show can speak to our desire to inhabit a space of mutuality and decency, and at the same time she cogently demonstrates how Downton Abbey also gives cover to neoliberal projects that erode the very possibility of such social relations. Khan's discerning critique offers both a nuanced reading of Downtown Abbey's political repercussions and a model for further work at a cultural moment when political discourse fictionalises history in the mode of a period drama.

Sherryl Vint, Distinguished Professor, University of California, Riverside, USA

Downton Abbey: Politics of Nostalgia, Neoliberalism, and Empire offers a critical examination of the global phenomenon of Downton Abbey, situating the series within broader debates about nostalgia, media globalization, transnational audiences, and the cultural politics of empire. Khan provides insight into how transmedia storytelling manifests across converging media landscapes, including television, digital platforms, merchandise, and tourism. Whether you're interested in postcolonial studies, British history, media studies, or simply a fan of Downton Abbey, Downton Abbey: Politics of Nostalgia, Neoliberalism, and Empire is an essential read.

Stephanie L. Young, Professor of Communication Studies, University of Southern Indiana, USA