The series, set between 1912 and 1926 in the fictional Yorkshire country estate of Downton Abbey, depicts the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their domestic servants in the post-Edwardian era, with the great events of the time having an effect on their lives and the British social hierarchy. The show has been praised for its accurate portrayal of life at that level of society and has become a cultural phenomenon. Downton Abbey is set in the period immediately following the end of World War I. The series begins in 1912, when young Earl of Carnarvon meets the woman who will become his wife, while his father is still in the Middle East trying to acquire ancient artifacts for the British Museum. When he returns home, Lord Carnarvon learns that his son has died in this foreign land before he can return to run the family business. The series then follows the next few generations of the Crawley family as they rise through the world of high society, accompanied by the ever-changing cast of servants responsible for their daily lives. Downton Abbey is based on the novels of Elizabeth Ismay, first published in 1866. It tells the story of a wealthy English family living in post-reform England, from the death of Lord Carnarvon's son until the beginning of World War I. The series has been praised for its accurate portrayal of life at that level of society and has become a cultural phenomenon.