From the Elizabethan Lord Treasurer to the takeover by the National Trust, the history of Knole House is a history of the Great Houses of England, and thus of England itself, told skillfully here in brisk and serious style. The 7th Lord Sackville incorporates modern historical research yet still comes off as a novelist. Although the Austens are not mentioned, the history of Knole, Sevenoaks and Kent in general are of interest to us also as studiers of Austen's family history. Color plates. Walker & Co., NY. 2010. Hb, Dj. NEW. $10.00