A fascinating collection of first-hand accounts of life in the time of Jane Austen (1775-1817), showing how social standing and etiquette were prime considerations of the period, and revealing the stark contrast between ''upstairs'' and ''downstairs'' and the lives of men and women. With extracts from Jane Austen''s novels, letters, biographies, memoirs and newspapers, including previously unpublished material held by The Jane Austen Society, British Library, Hampshire Record Office and Kent County Archives.