In this beautifully written biography, Alison Weir paints a vibrant portrait of a truly exceptional woman and provides new insights into her intimate world. Renowned in her time for being the most beautiful woman in Europe, the wife of two kings and mother of three, Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the great heroines of the Middle Ages. At a time when women were regarded as little more than … little more than chattel, Eleanor managed to defy convention as she exercised power in the political sphere and crucial influence over her husbands and sons.
Eleanor of Aquitaine lived a long life of many contrasts, of splendor and desolation, power and peril, and in this stunning narrative, Weir captures the woman—and the queen—in all her glory. With astonishing historic detail, mesmerizing pageantry, and irresistible accounts of royal scandal and intrigue, she recreates not only a remarkable personality but a magnificent past era.
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I’m a big reader of history, both factual and fiction. Eleanor of Aquitaine profiled a woman of strength, courage and guile. She had to fight to maintain her position and to promote her sons. A French noblewoman who first married the King of France and later left him for the King of England must have had a will of iron that could bend as needed. A bit of mystery and good looks probably didn’t hurt.
Alison Weir writes both history books and historical fiction, and Eleanor of Aquitaine is one of her novels that translates well. I hadn’t ever read anything about this leading lady, one of the most influential women in British history, wife to Henry II and mother to three kings, including Richard the Lionheart. Here, Weir tells of Eleanor’s doomed marriage as a teen to King Louis VII of France, and then how she found a passionate and ultimately tumultuous marriage with Henry II, as she attempted to split loyalties to her lands and people, husband, and later, her sons.
This novel definitely made more interested in the earlier periods of British monarchy, showing how one woman’s struggle for power and influence among many men.
This is a biography of one of England’s greatest queens. A duchess in her own right she ruled extensive lands in the south of what is now France, married two kings, went on Crusade to the Holy Land, and bore 10 children, three of whom wore the crown of England as its king. Renowned for her beauty, intellect, wit and charm, she became the subject of songs written by the most famous troubadours of her time. She ruled England as Regent for various periods of time when her son Richard l was out of the country pursuing various wars of insurrection and when he went on crusade himself. She was, and remains a fascinating woman and this biography is well worth the price and the time to read.
This work de-mystifies a once mysterious queen. It spanned the vast European geography that Eleanor ruled, while, at the same time, tying together historical events with her intimate personal relationships. Throughout, it provided one missing piece after another, to put together the whole puzzle of her amazing life. It was an exciting and easy read, and is extremely informative.
Learned a lot,but it was a long,hard read.
I’ve read this book every few years. I am fascinated by the history, the characters and their experiences. The history is true and engaging; the writing is superb, compelling and every time I am ready to read it again, it feels like I’ve never read it before. I discover something new in its history every time. The characters are vividly and honestly written, the story fascinating. If you like historical fiction, do try “Elinor of Aquitaine;” no doubt, you’ll read it over and over again, too! — S.T. Pierce
This is a fascinating book! I could not put it down. Of all the monarchs, she is the most interesting to me. What a story! Brava Alison Weir! You are a an inspiration to all women!