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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 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 pas… (more)
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There were then, as now, women of strong character who ruled feudal states and kingdoms, as Eleanor did; who made decisions, ran farms and businesses, fought lawsuits, and even, by sheer force of personality, dominated their husbands. ... The fact remained that the social constraints upon women were so rigidly enforced by both Church and state that few women ever thought to question them. Eleanor herself caused ripples in twelfth-century society because she was a spirited woman who was determined to do as she pleased. (p. 4)
The unfortunate reality is that most written history is focused on men and their achievements. Weir pieced together evidence from contemporary sources in an attempt to illuminate the life of this "spirited woman," but this book was much more about Eleanor's actions as they related to her husbands and sons, and their quest for dominance of feudal society. Weir portrays Eleanor as strong and intelligent, and the men as violent, power-hungry philanderers. She fails to explain why Eleanor would work so hard to preserve their power. Reading this book increased my knowledge of Henry II, his sons Richard and John, and the constant power-brokering of that age. Eleanor was present throughout, always on the scene and sometimes playing a role in negotiations. But who was she, really? What motivated her? How did she feel about being separated from her children, sometimes for years at a time? I was hoping for more insight to Eleanor as a person, but I suspect there just isn't enough evidence to produce a comprehensive portrait.
First, the author fills the book with general 12th century history and facts. There is every bit as much, if not more written about Henry II, the second husband of Eleanor than there is about Eleanor herself. In truth, the book should have been entitled "12th Century European History." The author writes extensively about the Second Crusade, undertaken by Eleanor's then husband, Louis of France, but has virtually nothing to say about Eleanor's role. Understandable, since there are no sources that speak of it. The book deals primarily with the political and martial dealings between the various Kings, Dukes, Earls and Counts of Europe and England.
Second, the author writes generally about the role of women in 12th century Europe and tries to compare and contrast Eleanor's activities in an attempt to paint her as a much more politically savvy and active member of society than most women of the age.
Finally, the author takes very flimsy historical information and tries to expand it to fill the historical gaps and flesh out the subject of the "biography". To her credit, she uses this technique very sparingly and avoids wholesale fiction.
With respect to the author's writing style, I found it to be very dry and at times, merely a recitation of historical facts running for pages at a time. The plethora of names and titles were at times confusing, a situation that was compounded by the style utilized by the author.
We know about Eleanor's family, her titles and estates and and the rough timeline of her marriages, divorce, children and death. Beyond that, with respect to Eleanor herself, we know very little. We do not even have a reliable likeness of her appearance. To sell this work as a "biography" is to give the word a definition with which I am unfamiliar.
It was ok. It is nonfiction, so was somewhat dry in parts. Alison Weir was trying to write the book using primarily contemporary sources, but there were a lot of gaps when there was nothing written about Eleanor, so I found that a good portion of the book focused more on Henry and their sons, which was unfortunate. I would have liked more on Eleanor (though I understand that there's just not that much out there, so from a nonfiction standpoint, probably impossible).
Another high point is the quality of Weir's writing. Weir present a smooth and well-paced narrative that's packed with information. And that's a point that readers should fully appreciate, since there's relatively little historical evidence depicting Eleanor's life. This book is obviously well-researched, giving a clear portrayal of a complex family. And Weir is as objective as one could hope for, showing the bad and good aspects of Eleanor and her contemporaries.
I will definitely read more of Weir's work.
In an age frequently remembered for Kings, popes, and knights there were influential women who wielded power and moved the world. Eleanor was the mother of Richard the Lionhearted and King John (softsword). She assisted Henry I become one of the most powerful kings of the earth
The author seems to do a good job of identifying and discussing the myths that rose about her over the years and discussing the truth.
This is inevitable, however, owing to scant
This is still a good read, though, as Henry II, Richard I, and King John are hardly boring topics.
Ms. Weir also goes into great detail about the battles her sons waged, especially Richard I, "the Lionheart," on her/their territories in Blois, Aquitaine, and other kingdoms of modern-day France. And she also points out that Richard I was the King of England with only 10 months spent in his kingdom. Just 10 months!
But on to Eleanor. She managed to survive 10 years as a prisoner of her husband (having spent last year in lockdown I can appreciate her sanity a whole lot more), and was taken prisoner because she had the brains and guile to counsel her sons to fight for their own kingdoms. And the Second Crusade? She had the audacity to come along and bring other Cruisaders' wives and their courts along with her. Sadly, at the end of the Crusade, many were left to starve or die of Plague because they did not have the wealth to buy transit on the ships back to Aquitaine/Blois/Anjou.
My main gripe with this book is the off-hand dismissal of two facets of Eleanor's life and influence: the Courts of Love and the historical background of Robin Hood. The first is described at length as nothing more than a fabrication by a chaplain at the court of Marie de Champagne, leaving all the other centuries' worth of historical and biographical references of Eleanor presiding over this rich artistic lineage as nothing more than made up stories. For the Robin Hood legend, dismissing the evidence of the historical Robin Hood as "sparse and confusing" and belonging to the 16th Century is troubling in the context of her otherwise strong insistence of historical research and accuracy.
with her Henry of Anjou and how she only wanted to live back home in Aquitaine.
With this book, I was again shocked that she would allow the barbarity of her son Richard to be approved
and continued by her in her own
This non fiction version of Eleanor's life included Maps! Photos!
while the author delivered detailed and incisive information about,
despite her intelligence, strength, perseverance, and resolution,
this not very admirable woman.