The basic premise of the book is that after being raped by king louis on her wedding day and finding out ten days later that she had become pregnant, eleanor of aquitaine, who in this book is a whiny professional victim, turns to the handsome bernard of ventadour. Eleanor s patrilineal descent, from a lineage already prestigious enough to have produced an empress in the eleventh century, gave her the lordship of aquitaine. Eleanor of aquitaines extraordinary life seems more likely to be found in the pages of fiction. Her portrail of eleanor of aquitaine, in the movie version of. He was also the heir to the throne of england as settlement of the conflicting claims of his mother empress matilda empress maud, daughter of henry i of england, and her cousin, stephen, who had seized the. Born to nobility, eleanor of aquitaines 11221204 parents were william x, duke of aquitaine, and aenor, daughter of. This accessible biography urges readers to celebrate the life and work of one of the most remarkable women of the middle ages. Eleanor of england, queen of castile 11611214, daughter of henry ii of england and eleanor of aquitaine. Twelfth century folk did not jot down every passing thought. Eleanor of aquitaine, queen consort of both louis vii of france 1752 and henry ii of england 11521204 and mother of richard i the lionheart and john of england. Best historicalfiction about eleanor of aquitaine score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Louis and eleanor were married in july 17, but had little time to get to know one another before louis father the king fell ill and died. Trees are not known by their leaves, nor even by their blossoms, but by their fruits. Best historicalfiction about eleanor of aquitaine 24 books.
Eleanor of aquitaine by alison weir fantastic fiction. Eleanor of aquitaine was wife to both louis vii of france and henry ii of england, and her sons with the. Eleanor s grandfather, william ix, was the duke of aquitaine and is. The life and legacy of medieval europes most famous queen attempts to provide an unbiased look at eleanors life by exploring the achievements and trials of the duchessqueen and deconstructing the black legends and other compelling tales that continue to envelop her to this day. Eleanor of aquitaine reads like a really upmarket historical novel and that is a compliment. Eleanor of aquitaine is remembered for being herself. Unfortunately, not many reliable contemporary sources that record the protagonist life are available to us, and in consequence, my expectations had to be readjusted.
Published by ballantine books, a division of random house, inc. Apr 23, 2020 eleanor of aquitaine was a major figure in the middle ages and a prominent figure in womens history. The novel begins with eleanors marriage at thirteen years old to the future king of france and follows her eventful life as she matures through political and marital upheavals and becomes a. For readers who arent familiar with eleanor of aquitaine, she rates as one of the truly great women of western historyone whose influence was felt years after her death which was particularly significant in an era when women had virtually no political rights or influence at all. The first 110 of the book and the last 210 of the book are about eleanor. Eleanor of aquitaine was a major figure in the middle ages and a prominent figure in womens history. Eleanor was the daughter and heiress of william x, duke of aquitaine and count of poitiers, who possessed one of the largest domains in francelarger, in fact, than those held by the french king. 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 womanand the queenin all her glory.
Eleanor was born in 1122, daughter of the future duke william x and aenor, who was the daughter of william ixs mistress. She was at the very center of the rich culture and clashing politics of the twelfth century. This is historical fiction at its best and i loved every page of it. Eleanor of aquitaine 1122 1 april 1204 was queen consort of france 171152 and england 11541189 and duchess of aquitaine in her own right 171204. 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 queenin all her glory. Meades sounds interesting, almost gossipy like her book on jazz age women. The first edition of the novel was published in 1999, and was written by alison weir. 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. Weirs book reads almost like a novel, and she delves into the source material to come to. It is the name of a number of women of the high nobility in western europe during the high middle ages in modern times, the name was popular in the united states in the 1910s to 1920s. While her children and husbands lead interesting lives, i purchased a book claiming to be about the renowned eleanor of aquitaine. Learn more about eleanor of aquitaine in this article.
Eleanor of aquitaines legacy in 1200, as king johns ambassador to france, eleanor defended englands french territories, anjou and aquitaine, against invasions. As a member of the ramnulfids house of poitiers rulers in southwestern france, she was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in western europe during the high middle ages. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the summer queen. Eleanor married in turn louis vii of france and henry ii of england, and was the mother of richard the lionheart and king john. These books about eleanor of aquitaine are historicallyaccurate testaments to this strongwilled woman of the middle ages.
Had i not first read marion meades book, eleanor of aquitaine, a biography, i might not be so disappointed reading weirs. Its hard to make the 12th centurythe time of the violent forging of european nationhood, the literary invention of courtly love, and names like dangerosa and the lord of cognacboring, but biographergenealogist weir the life of elizabeth i, 1998 gives it the old oxford try. Eleanor of aquitaine by desmond seward nook book ebook. Eleanor of aquitaine and the four kings amy kelly harvard.
May some of ebooks not available on your country and only available for those who subscribe and depend to the source of library websites. Henry died long before eleanor, but his life on earth was filled with rather questionable behavior, and he has had to spend some time in helleight centuries to be exact. Eleanor of aquitaine, queen of france and england home. Upon williams death in 17 she inherited the duchy of aquitaine and in july 17 married the heir to the french throne, who succeeded his father, louis vi, the following month. Eleanor of aquitaine audiobook by charles river editors. The one person who matches every one of these traits was a duchess of the aquitaine, wife of two kings, mother of two others, and though not at the same time queen of both france and england. This is a substantial book of 394 pages, and of all the single. Eleanor of aquitaine 1122 april 1, 1204 was a medieval firebrand, and no question about it. In a world where carpenters get resurrected, everything is possible. Eleanor of aquitaine trilogy the summer queen, the first of three ground breaking linked but standalone novels detailing the life of eleanor aquitaine. So she has used a lot of imagination but as the story of a truly remarkable woman, it works. You will learn about eleanor of aquitaine like never before.
Net archive search books by rating android app menu. The summer queen is a fabulous novel based on the most uptodate and meticulous research. Eleanor of aquitaine 11221204 has been long noted for her political and cultural achievements that profoundly shaped twelfthcentury europe. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. In may 1152, eleanor of aquitaine married henry fitzempress. Eleanors patrilineal descent, from a lineage already prestigious enough to have produced an empress in the eleventh century, gave her the lordship of aquitaine. In this beautifully written biography, alison weir paints a v. The other 710 is about her husbands, her children and speculation surrounding her and her family. Is kellys eleanor of aquataine and the four kings a reissue of the 1950 book, or did she rewrite it. She was perhaps the most powerful woman in 12thcentury europe.
Eleanor of aquitaine by alison weir book cover, description, publication history. There have been plenty of books written about eleanor, but my favorite one ive read recently is eleanor of aquitaine. Eleanor of aquitaine, courtly love, and the troubadours this ebook list for those who looking for to read eleanor of aquitaine, courtly love, and the troubadours, you can read or download in pdf, epub or mobi. A novel of eleanor of aquitaine ebook written by elizabeth chadwick. Proud daughter of a distinguished french dynasty, she married the king of france, louis vii, then the king of england, henry ii, and gave birth to two sons who rose to take the english thronerichard the lionheart and john. Apr 01, 2018 eleanor of aquitaine 1122 april 1, 1204 was a medieval firebrand, and no question about it. The summer queen book 1 the winter crown book 2 the autumn throne book 3 praise for the summer queen. The eldest daughter of william, duke of aquitaine, eleanor was married to louis vii, king of france. One of marion meades problems, as she freely admits, was lack of sources. Growing up, elizabeth i and eleanor of aquitaine were two of my very favorite heroines. But marriage reemphasized her sex which, in the medieval scheme of genderpower relations relegated her to.
Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new. With astonishing historic detail, mesmerizing pageantry, and irresistible accounts of royal scandal and intrigue, she recreates not only a remarkable. Henry was the duke of normandy through his mother, empress matilda, and count of anjou through his father. At a time when women were regarded as 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. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 441 pages and is available in paperback format. A history of eleanor of aquitaine british heritage. Eleanor of aquitaine pdf download full download pdf book.
At a time when women were regarded as little more than chattel, eleanor managed to defy convention as. Alison weirs book on the life of eleanor of aquitaine is a good read. Louis and eleanor were married in july 17, but had little time to get to know one another before louis father the king fell ill. The story of that amazingly influential and still somewhat mysterious woman, eleanor of aquitaine, has the dramatic interest of a novel. Proud daughter of a distinguished french dynasty, she married the. Katherine hepburn was one of my ultimate favorite actresses, from hollywoods golden years. She was one of the most powerful and influential people of her time.
Evans lecturer at central michigan university examines the myths and iconography preventing us from knowing the real person. Eleanors grandfather, william ix, was the duke of aquitaine and is. Eleanor of aquitaine alison weir this book is dedicated with heartfelt thanks to my agent, julian alexander and to jill black who has edited so many of my books. So what do we need to know about this remarkable woman. The author of a number of other books on the medieval period life of. Books for eleanor of aquitaine the history of england. I selected this book as a biography of eleanor of aquitaine, it is almost 500 pages, so i expected to learn a lot about the fascinating life of this famous queen. The main characters of this history, non fiction story are eleanor of aquitaine. But marriage reemphasized her sex which, in the medieval scheme of genderpower relations relegated her to the position of lady in.
William the conqueror, richard lionheart, and eleanor of aquitaine a story of bloodshed, betrayal, and revenge by mary mcauliffe 16 mar 2012 5. Culturally, beyond her role as wife of kings louis vii of france and henry ii of england and mother of kings richard and john, she inspired the huge diffusion of the arthurian cycle and the celtic myths. Since this book was published a new study of the historiography around eleanor has been released by bloomsbury. Dedicated to my new biography of eleanor of aquitaine now out. Queen eleanor of aquitaine is sitting on a cloud surrounded by friends and family, waiting for the arrival of her second husband, king henry ii of england.
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