Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Life (World Leaders Past & Present)

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. In this beautifully written biography, Alison Weir paints a vibrant portrait of this truly exceptional woman, and provides new insights into her intimate world. 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.

Eleanor of Aquitaine was a complex was a complex, boldly original who transcended the mores of her society. In this stunning biography, Alison Weir paints a vibrant portrait of this truly exceptional queen, and provides new insights into her private life. With astonishing historic detail, mesmerizing pageantry, and irresistible accounts of royal scandal and intrigue, Weir recreates not only a remarkable personality but a magnificent past era.

About the Author:
Alison Weir is an English biographer and historian, and the author of seven books, including The Life of Elizabeth I and The Six Wives of Henry VIII. She lives outside of London with her husband and two children.

KLIATT

Who was this powerful woman, wife of two kings, mother of two kings, and heiress of the Angevin Empire? The 12th-century chroniclers as well as later writers presented contradictory pictures of the "most beautiful woman" in Europe. Much of Eleanor's story was clouded by myths depicting her as a vain, wicked, cruel, loose-living woman. As centuries passed Eleanor became in turn a romantic heroine or a mere footnote in the history of Henry II and their sons, Richard the Lionheart and John. Weir combed the chronicles and numerous other contemporary sources to research this medieval queen who left no writings of her own and of whom there is no known portrait. What Weir has done for Eleanor is to place her squarely within the turbulent milieu of feudal England and France, presenting a strong woman trapped in an era when women were pawns given in marriage to increase territory and fortunes and provide offspring. Eleanor did not conform to their pattern, even accompanying her first husband, King Louis of France, on the Second Crusade. After receiving an annulment, Eleanor secretly married Henry II, but faced a difficult and troubled marriage with her lustful husband. As punishment for supporting her sons against their father, she suffered the humiliation of imprisonment and rejection by Henry. Eleanor recovered her leadership role after his death, displaying strong political acumen. Of her eight children by Henry, she favored Richard and constantly strove to reconcile him with his brothers, especially John, who coveted the English throne. Weir depicts Eleanor as a powerful ruler who worked to save her own kingdom by supporting wise policies and patronage. She also creates a broad panorama ofthe 12th century, with its constant feudal battles, land grabs, and the treacheries of those who jockeyed for power. Genealogical tables help the reader to sort through the countless, closely related antagonists. A helpful Reader's Guide includes a conversation with Weir and questions for discussion, which enhance the focus of medieval history that Weir makes accessible to 21st-century readers. KLIATT Codes: SA—Recommended for senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 1999, Ballantine, 441p. illus. notes. bibliog. index., $14.95. Ages 16 to adult. Reviewer: Mary T. Gerrity; Upper Marlboro, MD , November 2001 (Vol. 35, No. 6)

"Renowned in her time for being the most beautiful woman in Europe, the wife of two kings and the mother of three, Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the great heroines of the Middle Ages. Although she lived in an age in which 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. In this new biography, Alison Weir paints a vibrant portrait of this truly exceptional woman, and provides new insights into her intimate life." "Born in 1122 into the sophisticated and cultured court of Poitlers, Eleanor came of age in a world of luxury, intrigue, bloody combat, and unbridled ambition. At only fifteen, she inherited one of the great fortunes of Europe - the prize duchy of Aquitaine - yet her father had been shrewd enough to realize that her future security lay in a powerful marriage. Consequently the sensual Duchess submitted to a union with the handsome but sexually withholding Louis VII, the teenage king of France. The marriage endured for fifteen fraught years, until Eleanor finally succeeded in having it annulled - only to enter an even stormier match with the aggressively virile, hot-tempered Henry of Anjou, who would soon ascend to the English throne as Henry II." "As Weir traces the fascinating intersection of public and private lives in Europe's twelfth-century courts, Eleanor comes to life as a complex, boldly original women who transcended the mores of society. Eventually, after enduring Henry's flagrant infidelities, she showed herself a formidable and dangerous enemy of the King's interests by plotting to overthrow him with their sons, Henry, Richard, and Geoffrey. A tireless political fighter and a born survivor, the humbled Queen emerged from sixteen years of imprisonment, age sixty-seven, to rule England with wisdom and panache during the absence of her son King Richard the Lion Heart, while he fought in the ruinous Third Crusade."--BOOK JACKET 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 past era. A biography of Eleanor of Aquitaine, discussing her early years in twelfth-century Europe, her marriages to France's King Louis VII and England's Henry II, her unprecedented political power, and other aspects of her life