Cannadine, David, The Decline and Fall of the British Aristocracy, Vintage Books, 1999.

Cannadine explores the many complex reasons that
the British aristocracy went from being an elite group
of wealthy landowners to a dwindling class of people
who lost their sons in World War I along with
their power and status. To give dimension to his explanations,
Cannadine includes letters, statistics, and
historical accounts in his social history.

Ishiguro, Kazuo, When We Were Orphans, Knopf, 2000.

Considered one of Ishiguro's most complex and accomplished
novels, this is the story of nine-year-old
Christopher, whose parents disappear from their
Shanghai home. He is sent to live in England, and
when he is older, he returns to his home to uncover
his family's mystery.

Shaffer, Brian W., Understanding Kazuo Ishiguro, Random House, 1998.

Part of the Understanding Contemporary British Literature
series, this book explores the life and career
of Ishiguro. Shaffer...