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Eleanor of Aquitaine: By the Wrath of God, Queen of England | 
 enlarge | Author: Alison Weir
Publisher: Vintage
Category: Book
List Price: £8.99
Buy New: £4.18
You Save: £4.81 (54%)
New (18) Used (2) from £4.18
Rating:  33 reviews
Sales Rank: 16119
Media: Paperback
Pages: 464
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 4.9 x 1.3
ISBN: 0099523558
EAN: 9780099523550
ASIN: 0099523558
Publication Date: January 10, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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Amazon.co.uk Review
Combining the pace and descriptive quality of a novel with the authority of a text book, Alison Weir's study of the revered and reviled Eleanor of Aquitaine should be valuable to anyone with an interest in medieval European history. Wife of Louis VII of France and subsequently of Henry II of England and mother of Richard the Lionheart, Eleanor played a prominent part in the politics of the 12th century. The author of a number of other books on the medieval period, Alison Weir brings all the colour and ever-present dangers of Eleanor's world to life, filling the text with absorbing background detail and revelatory contemporary anecdotes. She is concerned throughout to make critical analysis of the primary sources, the later myths about Eleanor and other modern biographies. This results in a fresh and thoughtful perspective on the energetic 82 years of the life of a determined and ambitious woman living with the sexism, excesses and violence of a society in which the word of a single man could condemn thousands to be put to death. Eleanor of Aquitaine is a vivacious but scholarly book with extensive notes and references appended, giving an objective and rich account of the staunch Eleanor, her feuding family and her complex and unstable world. --Karen Tiley
Amazon.co.uk Review
Combining the pace and descriptive quality of a novel with the authority of a text book, Alison Weir's study of the revered and reviled Eleanor of Aquitaine should be valuable to anyone with an interest in medieval European history. Wife of Louis VII of France and subsequently of Henry II of England and mother of Richard the Lionheart, Eleanor played a prominent part in the politics of the 12th century. The author of a number of other books on the medieval period, Alison Weir brings all the colour and ever-present dangers of Eleanor's world to life, filling the text with absorbing background detail and revelatory contemporary anecdotes. She is concerned throughout to make critical analysis of the primary sources, the later myths about Eleanor and other modern biographies. This results in a fresh and thoughtful perspective on the energetic 82 years of life of a determined and ambitious woman living with the sexism, excesses and violence of a society in which the word of a single man could condemn thousands to be put to death. Eleanor of Aquitaine is a vivacious but scholarly book with extensive notes and references appended, giving an objective and rich account of the staunch Eleanor, her feuding family and her complex and unstable world. --Karen Tiley
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| Customer Reviews: Read 10 more reviews...
 Eleanor empowered August 17, 2001
18 out of 18 found this review helpful
I was captivated by the title when I first came across it. Eleanor of Aquitane certainly proved to be an exceptionally well-written and captivating book, especially when compared to the mediocre efforts of many of our contemporary writers. Alison Weir succeeds in making a distant epoch come to life in a multidimensional way. She has been criticised, by some, for presenting a rather scanty picture of the queen, yet in this same sparse representation, which stems from limited resources available, lies the crux of the existence of a medieval woman. From the morsels of information available about the life of one of the most remarkable female figures of the early medieval period, we can infer that the medieval reality did not consider women as figures of much consequence. For there to have been even this little written about Eleanor she had to have been a particularly influential player in the male orientated society. Through MS Weir's very objective eyes we catch a fair glimpse of Eleanor's world, the consequences of her intelligence, strength and power. It is an effortless read, well worth the time and money.
A truly fascianting book about an amazing Woman August 31, 2000
cway@mgm.com (London, England)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
This book is the first book I have read by Alison Weir, coming across it by accident, I am enormously glad I discovered it. The author brings to life a woman who's story and place in history has been somewhat overshadowed by scandal and gossip, that has long since fallen into legend. Eleanor's reputation has undoubtedly been made more unsightly by a long line of male biographers and commentators, this book redresses the balance of a talented and strongwilled woman. The vibrancy of Eleanor's character and her clever and shrewd leadership is at last given the chance to be seen in its true light. This book highlights the way in which woman of the past did have a say and influence over their destiny and in Eleanor's case in the running of her realm, and in time, over the history of that realm. Because womens lives were not seen as worthy to document in detail, Eleanor's guile and leadership were never assessed by contempory writers. Weir's book gives us the chance to evaluate an incredible life and enjoy a gripping read.
Accurate, readable biography of legendary Queen October 8, 1999
Jeffrey Compton (Forest Hills, NY USA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Ever since I saw Katherine Hepburn play Eleanor of Aquitaine in the film Lion in Winter, I have read everything available on this fascinating 12th century woman - and this book was, by far, the most readable, and probably the most accurate. Though Allison Weir avoids over romanticizing the story by passing along legends as facts (that Eleanor murdered her husband's mistress or the many tales surrounding her Court of Love), she still weaves a fascinating tale. Because Weir is such a stickler for researched facts, there are long sections where she admits that very little is known about what exactly Eleanor was doing at the time (most notably during the murder of Thomas Becket), but I still never lost interest - and she provides enough balanced background on the many characters that you develop a true understanding for their complicated motives. After reading Weir's other books (especially the definitive "Six Wives of Henry VIII"), I was positive that this would be another enjoyable history lesson - and Ms. Weir, as usual, did not disappoint!
Interesting Account of a Very Interesting Women October 19, 2000
Aussie Reader (Canberra, Australia)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Once again Alison Weir has produced another wonderful and exciting biography. In this book on Eleanor of Aquitaine she has told the story of this most interesting person in a manner that had me glued to the pages. I must state that I have not previously read any books on this subject, quite a few on Richard I but nothing on his mother. I usually enjoy military history but this was an excellent story, well researched and well presented with heaps of plots, fighting and treachery. The story may well be known to quite a few people out there but to me this book offered the first timer a grand and interesting panorama of this most interesting person during a most interesting period. The narrative was quick and exciting, moving along covering a vast period of time and people however I never got lost in the story. On a number of occasions points in dispute were threshed out and a common sense approach was adopted in trying to find the truth of the matter. Eleanor of Aquitaine had a number of detractors throughout history but I think the author tried to present her story in a non biased manner. This is a good book and I think that most people will enjoy the story and even those who know the whole story should gain something from this account.
Detailed and vivid. Very well-researched, as I would expect June 3, 2001
rebecca.braddock@lineone.net (England)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
The book brings both Eleanor and her family to life. It is easy to empathise with her when reading of her difficulties with both her husband and the problems of living in England. She became very much a part of my life for the all too short time it took me to read the book. Yet again, Alison Weir has managed, through intensive research to bring a long dead queen to life and remind everyone of what she endured for her much beloved husband. I found it hard to put the book down and once I had done so, equally hard to forget about Eleanor.
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