Eleanor of Aquitaine: The Mother Queen of the Middle Ages

By Desmond Seward

Book Overview

"A monstrous injurer of heaven and earth," as Shakespeare referred to this powerful medieval matriarch, Eleanor of Aquitaine's reign as England's stormiest and most ambitious queen has never been matched.

As the greatest heiress in Europe, she was in turn Queen of France and Queen of England; among her sons were Richard the Lionheart and King John. A magnificent independent ruler in her own right, she lost her power when she married Louis VII of France. She received neither influence nor fame by her second marriage to King Henry II, who jailed her for fifteen years for conspiring and supporting their son's claim to the throne. Her husband was succeeded by their son, King Richard the Lionheart, who immediately released his mother from prison. Eleanor then acted as Regent while Richard launched the Third Crusade.

Her loveliness and glamour, her throwing-off of the constraints that shackled women of the twelfth century, and her very real gifts as a politician and ruler make Eleanor's story one of the most colorful of the High Middle Ages.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1605988979
• ISBN13: 9781605988979
• Release Date: November 2015
• Publisher: Pegasus Books
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

Level and Balanced Account

After having read the romantic but scholarly book by Amy Kelly and the loose but lively biography of Alison Weir, this book presents the perfect balance between readability and scholarship.

Quite an Easy Read

I have yet to read a book on Eleanor that I did not find interesting. She is quite a character. My recommendation is to start out by watching the film, Lion In Winter, and then graduating to books on the subject. This one would be a good place to begin.

Balanced view of a very interesting life

The author did an excellent job informing the reader of the differing viewpoints regarding this amazing woman. I learned in detail about Eleanor's two husbands, her ten children, and the various enemies to the "Angevin empire." Thus this book is not just about Eleanor, but also about the historical period in which she lived.

Excellent! For everyone!!

I love this book. I first read it two years ago, and I was hooked. Anyone remotely interested in Eleanor Aquitaine should definetly read this. It's fascinating and absorbing. Two thumbs up for Desmond Seward!