Customer Reviews

Eleanor of Aquitaine: Queen of France, Queen of England

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ralph Turner begins this 300 page book by stating that little is known about the fascinating Eleanor of Acquitaine. He then compensates for the dearth of data by repeating most of his major facts as many as twenty times. I've never read anything where I felt more bludgeoned. It's unfortunate because, if the author had been less concerned with s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-g his text out to traditional book length and had written a crisp 150 page biography, Turner's work would have been far better, and less controlling. If you're determined to learn about the only woman who was ever queen of both France and England, proceed as you will but be advised: this is a numbing read.

A wonderful book if you are looking for an in-depth study of the former Queen of France and England. While Turner's study is not as accessible as the famous Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings by Amy Kelly, it presents it's research as much more matter of fact. This account does not romanticize it's subject as most other Eleanor reviews have, but instead posits a fair picture of a woman who is completely remarkable without the embellishment.

As a writer on the deep life of Eleanor of Aquitaine, this sits very high on my stack. It gives a good bit more thought to the biography and is a more up to date and scholarly than the ones that first brought my interest (Weir-the researcher, Kelly), yet it has the full scope. Highly recommended for devotees in search of the true Alienor.

Selected this book asa gift for my son-in-law, a Professor of Comparative Lit at LSU. He will be teaching a course of the troubadors in the Middle Englih period this winter. THis will help supplement his book, The Death of the Troubadors, and give more emphasis to the unique Eleanor of Acquitane. He aws pleased to receive it today as aChristmas gift.

My father was having a very difficult time finding this book in any store and two major bookstore chains told him until/unless it was reprinted he was out of luck. I went on line, immediately found it and received in time to give it to him for Christmas.