"Eleanor of Aquitaine" was a name that came up occasionally when I read about the Middle Ages, and one that I knew nothing about. So I purchased this book about Eleanor written by Marion Meade.
This most-excellent book is easy to read. Tons of detail about Queen Eleanor, along with countless other notable figures of the time (late 1100s-early 1200s). As with most books of this type, there is a virtual "cast of thousands" whereby one needs an Excel® spreadsheet to keep track. Never mind that, just keep reading through.
1. You will learn just about everything there is to know about Eleanor of Aquitaine, including the fact that she was sequentially the Queen of arguably the two most important/powerful countries in the Western World at that time. Eleanor was also the Duchess of Aquitaine, and the mother of some notable men, including two Kings.
It's not an overstatement to say that Eleanor of Aquitaine was at the center of nearly every important, influential and controversial event of that time in Western Europe, including the Second Crusade! Eleanor's life story is simply amazing. She was a powerful, intelligent and very hard-driven woman.
Usually self-confident, Eleanor of Aquitaine used her intelligence, skill and cunning to lead and rule men under the most-difficult of circumstances. And she ALWAYS did what was best for her Family Dynasty: The Plantagenets. However, not all of Eleanor's plans and schemes worked as intended. It is 100% certain that Eleanor's pretty face and head would have been PERMANENTLY DETACHED from the rest of her lovely body if she has been Queen of England about 300 years later. No doubt about!
2. You will also learn about the other hugely important people and events of the era. This aspect of the book was very informative and helpful. This book helps the reader understand and "pull together" the other impactful historical figures operating in Western Europe at the time. I really appreciated this aspect of the book.
WEIRD THING: After reading for a little while I noticed that there were no footnotes or endnotes in the text. I thought that a bit unusual. Then I thumbed through the back pages and discovered about 300 numbered endnotes. However, none of these endnotes had been included in the text. In other words, the individual pages had no endnote numbering embedded in the text. Perhaps the Publisher made a mistake when formatting/printing the book. No matter; this did not affect my understanding or enjoyment of the material.
CONCLUSION: If you have any interest in the High Middle Ages of Western European history, I STRONGLY RECOMMEND this book by Marion Meade.
NEXT UP: "William the Marshal"...another one of those obscure (to me) people that keep popping up, including in this present book about Eleanor of Aquitaine.
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J. James
Not only historians can write history
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 7, 2010
