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Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Life (Ballantine Reader's Circle) Paperback – April 3, 2001

by
Alison Weir (Author)
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Alison Weir (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars 200 customer reviews
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Product Details

  • Series: Ballantine Reader's Circle
  • Paperback: 441 pages
  • Publisher: Ballantine Books (April 3, 2001)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0345434870
  • ISBN-13: 978-0345434876
  • Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 1 x 8.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (200 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #70,694 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

263 of 267 people found the following review helpful
Accurate, readable biography of legendary Queen
By Jeffrey Compton on April 9, 2000
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
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!
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111 of 115 people found the following review helpful
Interesting Account of a Very Interesting Women
By Aussie Reader on February 2, 2000
Format: Hardcover
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.
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74 of 77 people found the following review helpful
A truly extraordinary book
By A Customer on December 13, 2001
Format: Paperback
She was the wife of two kings (Louis VII of France and Henry II of England) and a fascinating and controversial woman in her own right. Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine, was one of the most important and influential personalities of the Middle Ages and she truly comes alive in Alison Weir's masterful biography. After a short introduction on the history and culture of Southern France, Ms. Weir describes Eleanor's life in wonderful detail, examining contemporary sources, modern historical investigations, myth and reality. Everything you ever heard about Eleanor is here: her marriage to King Louis, her journey to Constantinople and Jerusalem during the Second Crusade, her marriage to King Henry, her emotional and political relations with her sons (two of them were also kings of England: Richard the Lionheart and King John), her role as Queen Regent, the legendary Courts of Love, and her imprisonment and eventual release are all told in Alison Weir's wonderful style. The author also includes a lot of information about other fascinating personalities of the time, such as Bernard of Clairvaux, Thomas Becket and William the Marshall, and she always manages to evoke the feeling of the period. This is a very well researched and brilliantly written biography that reads like a historical novel.
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28 of 28 people found the following review helpful
More Than Just a Biography...
By njbookworm on April 27, 2001
Format: Paperback
This book was a delight to read -- well-reasearched, descriptive, engaging. _Eleanor of Aquitaine_ gives you the information of a well-researched thesis with the pacing of a novel. However, it was a subtle disappointment because the information on Eleanor was much less than I had expected. (Note to self: Next time read an excerpt!)
Weir sets the reader up in the Forward, mentioning that little information about Eleanor has been found or proven. However, she is quick to point out the difference between her book and the books of other authors attempting to portray Eleanor. Weir claims that some previous biographers have painted a not-so-virtuous picture of Eleanor because they have relied on poor evidence. (For example, many biographers have used fictional works -- poetry, songs -- of the period to prove that Eleanor was an adultress.)
A continuing refrain in the book is, "Some historians have said X. Contemporary theorists have said Y. Based on the evidence I've seen, I can't decide between X or Y." While I do appreciate Wier's unbiased opinion, it didn't always make for the most interesting reading. Often I felt dissatisfied because I wanted to know more - I wanted to know the truth. However, perhaps that is Weir's point - we'll never truly know what Eleanor was like because there is simply not enough evidence.
In order to learn more about Eleanor's life, Wier had to painstakingly resurrect it from accounts of the lives of her children and family members. Consequently, the book serves as an excellent primer about Eleanor's historical period and family. For me, this was an unexpected bonus because I know very little about medieval times, the Crusades, etc. However, readers that are very medieval-savvy may find Weir's extensive (but necessary) digressions annoying.
Overall: If you're looking for a peek into the life of a lesser-known historical figure and time period, this book is an excellent choice.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

Five Stars

Excellent

Published 13 days ago by rey a franco
Highly Recommended

As always, Alison Weir takes the life of a substantial, important, and interesting woman in history and gives her as full a biography as is possible now. Read more

Published 16 days ago by Michael Sikkila
Good read.

Love Alison Weir! Good writer; always good books. This one is not exception!

Published 1 month ago by FlatFoot
Looks good. I haven't read it yet

Looks good. I haven't read it yet. Interesting woman.

Published 1 month ago by Joanna
Five Stars

GREAT!

Published 1 month ago by Lenore Bradford
You can't go wrong with Weir.

What. A. Great. Book. Love British history? Look for Alison Weir's name as author. Can't go wrong!

Published 2 months ago by GravelGertie
Not what I expected or wanted

This book seems to be mostly about Eleanor's husbands. That's not what I bought the book for. The author starts out stating that there is very little historical information about... Read more

Published 2 months ago by hb
I greatly enjoyed reading about one of the interesting women of...

Very well researched. I greatly enjoyed reading about one of the interesting women of history.

Published 2 months ago by Gayle Robinson
Five Stars

Very wonderful book.

Published 2 months ago by Tammy Harr
An excellent read of a fascinating woman

An excellent read of a fascinating woman. Too often we are unable to scrutinize women of history but Alison has captured her essence. Read more

Published 2 months ago by gbash

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