Court Society by Elias, Decline and Fall of the British Aristocracy, Cannadine

I read both these books at top speed. Court Society is historical sociology focusing on the court of Louis XIV. I was irritated by the fact that the author did not seem to grasp the power that flowed from the Crown and explained much of everything. However, I was new to the notion that the job of an aristocrat is to match expenses to the dignity of the title or position. Decline and Fall is excellent, and I devoured its 700 pages in two days. It discusses the loss of money, land, social standing, political power, and even the role in Anglo-Catholicism through three large phases: decline, ornamentation (i.e. symbolic roles only), and gradual extinction. I thought Cannadine's conclusion correct -- that the greatest moment of the landed gentry is the fact that it went quietly, putting country before interest, unlike other European nobles. An excellent read, exhaustively researched and rich in telling detail.