Power of a Woman. Memoirs of a turbulent life: Eleanor of Aquitaine [Paperback]

Robert Fripp (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 13, 2008

The feminine spirit soars as Eleanor of Aquitaine dictates her memoirs. "Power of a Woman. Memoirs of a turbulent life: Eleanor of Aquitaine" reveals the mind of medieval Europe's most exceptional woman recalling her own astonishing odyssey. Why did Eleanor wait until her eighty-first year to dictate her life story? Because "Life was for living. Bloodless recall is better suited to old age!" Betrayals and loyalties; triumphs and trials; stormy marriages to two warring kings, France's Louis VII and England's Henry II: "They left me worn, these men, but they didn't level me." Eleanor recalls wars, intrigues, her travels, troubadours and ruthless diplomacy while confessing her loves, hopes for her children and their fates: "God Almighty, let me die before You gather in another child, or the child of a child, of mine!" To secure her children's wellbeing she even tries threatening God: "I would prefer to relinquish this old body quietly, but be warned! If I must be borne hence cursing Christ, as Henry was, I shall." Eleanor looks back dispassionately, analyzing the Grace she enjoyed as the femme fatale of her day--"This old carcass once embodied the feminine ideal"--and she explains the role her Court of Ladies played in freeing women's minds from an "iron, bearded world." Chicago's Margaret Schmidt calls author Robert Fripp "a rare magician, a 'writer's writer'."

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In 'Power of a Woman,' Eleanor of Aquitaine plays a leading role in a world of power-drunk males. Before reading it, I never understood the historic context in which England's Queen learned to temper her headstrong, impulsive behavior and shape an agenda that changed the power structure of England and Europe. If you don't read this book out of historic interest, read it out of love of language. I suspect that Robert Fripp is a descendent of one of Eleanor's own troubadours. His rhythmic crescendos enable us to see, hear, taste, and touch Eleanor's world. His word pictures dig deep into the psyche, and remain. As a writing teacher myself, I know that bringing a person to life through the filter of first-person narrative is difficult indeed. Robert Fripp does so with exquisite sensitivity to the many layers of Eleanor's existence, and our own need to understand her." --Margaret Schmidt, Public seminars instructor, Newberry Library, Chicago

"Power of a Woman" brings us an "autobiography" of Eleanor of Aquitaine that is accessible and entertaining! Eleanor was Medieval Europe's most interesting woman. In an age when women were considered a necessary evil and expected to bear sons and be quiet, she defied tradition. She married two of the most powerful men in Europe, and birthed several more. She went on Crusade. She ruled vast territories. She created a definition of love that survives to this day. Telling her story in Eleanor's voice, Robert Fripp shows us Medieval Europe through her eyes: Crusades, wars, enmities, alliances, eternal subterfuge. Fripp's vision brings the very stones and glass of cathedrals and castles to life. History becomes a tapestry which Eleanor works, stitch by stitch. At eighty-one, she hasn't much time. We feel her urgency, the ache in her knees, the chill in her bones. Will she finish before she dies? Her sorrow of lost love, lost children, lost time is as real as the triumphs of her extraordinary life. Eleanor emerges as a woman of great wisdom, dearly won. A real woman, with a strong sense of her place in this life and the next. What a great read! This is so gripping. I got so totally caught up in this story one night that I woke up with images of Eleanor in my mind, and Kate Hepburn's voice in my ear. I love this story." --Veronica Prior, Round Rock, TX

"Those of you who know me know that in order for me to give a work of historical fiction a high rating, it has to offer something extraordinary. This Robert Fripp has done in "Power of a Woman. Memoirs of a turbulent life: Eleanor of Aquitaine." In this highly unusual fictional autobiography, Mr. Fripp tells Eleanor's life story "in her own words," as if she is dictating to a young lady in her household. Eleanor is aware that her long life is drawing to a close and that, having experienced so many significant events, she owes it to posterity to record her story. Yet she still finds time to muse on the present and the future, and to tease and cajole her young scribe, Aline. In this way, the author brings the reader that much closer to Eleanor, humanizing her in a way that a standard biography or a fictionalized third-person account could seldom do. In telling the story, the author strikes just the right balance with his phrasing and pace. He also succeeds in immersing himself thoroughly in the character. One delight of the book is getting to know such figures as Henry II and Richard the Lionheart -- not as an objective historian would know them, but as Eleanor knew them. If I had to choose a drawback, it would be the book's length. As Eleanor drew towards the end of her life and her digressions became more frequent, it took a little too long to reach the final chapter. But then, Eleanor's life was very long -- she lived to be 82, and I, as usual, was in a hurry to be done. I will readily admit that had I more leisure time to devote to the work, I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more. It is a work to take your time with, much as you would want to prolong a conversation with an old friend." --[Edited] By Melissa Snell, Your Guide to Medieval History, at About.com

"Robert Fripp's skillful prose sheds a unique perspective on one of the most enigmatic women in history: Eleanor of Aquitaine. Power of a Woman records Eleanor's dictated memoirs, making it a must read for anyone interested in this world-worn queen and her strife-torn times. Indeed, it will appeal to anyone who just enjoys a good historical read. The style reminds me somewhat of I, Claudius, which is huge praise in this reviewer's eyes." -- Yahoo Groups, The Lion in Winter Group, posted by Medeas_Child

"What a great read! This is so gripping. I got so totally caught up in this story one night that I woke up with images of Eleanor in my mind, and Kate Hepburn's voice in my ear. I love this story." -- Ronni's Rants. A blog by Veronica Prior, Round Rock, TX

From the Publisher

Robert Fripp has written a first-person life of the astonishing Eleanor of Aquitaine to rival Marguerite Yourcenar's Memoirs of Hadrian and Robert Graves's I, Claudius. Eleanor's woes with her army in the wintry wilds of Anatolia and her escapes from ambushes closer to home even hint at Xenophon's Anabasis. Several customer reviews attest to Fripp's ability to "channel" Eleanor. An exceptional woman of the Middle Ages and "mother" of the House of Plantagenet, she sought to wrest policy in England, France and her Angevin Empire through sixty-seven years of violent change while arguing, fighting, scorning, loving and counseling four kings, two of them her husbands, two of them her sons.

The author's web site (RobertFripp.ca) supplements his book, posting reviews, essays, a readers' group guide, excerpts and a full Eleanor timeline listing almost 300 events in her life.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 398 pages
• Publisher: Shillingstone Press (February 13, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0978062140
• ISBN-13: 978-0978062149
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #812,584 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not really that good, March 18, 2009

By 

Douglas Cox "retired programmer" (Palo Alto, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Power of a Woman. Memoirs of a turbulent life: Eleanor of Aquitaine (Paperback)

My rating is extra low for two reasons: one, I expected the writing to be worthy of 5 stars and so was sorely disappointed, and two, those 5 star ratings need to be balanced into reality.

Eleanor of Aquitaine had the fascinating life depicted in this book, but she was also famous for her intelligence, which is in no way mirrored here. I'm sure the author is a nice guy, and he did do his homework on Eleanor and the period she lived in, but he's not the right person to be trying to capture the thoughts of such a person as Eleanor of Aquitaine. Dame Dorothy Dunnett or Dame Rebecca West would have done Eleanor proud, I'm sure. And there are probably others out there who could match her intelligence with the facility of expression of the above two authors.

Besides mistakenly presuming he could write from Eleanor of Aquitaine's point of view (a point of view informed by a thoughtful intelligence), he writes full history in the style of mass-market books, and thus should disappoint both the true history buffs (like me), and the mass-market book readers (who don't want so much information).

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read, October 1, 2007

By 

Veronica J. Prior (Round Rock, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Power of a Woman. Memoirs of a turbulent life: Eleanor of Aquitaine (Paperback)

"Power of a Woman" brings us an "autobiography" of Eleanor of Aquitaine that is accessible and entertaining! Eleanor was Medieval Europe's most interesting woman. In an age when women were considered a necessary evil, and expected to bear sons and be quiet, she defied tradition. She married two of the most powerful men in Europe, and birthed several more. She went on Crusade. She ruled vast territories. She created a definition of love that survives to this day. Telling her story in Eleanor's voice, Robert Fripp shows us Medieval Europe through her eyes: Crusades, wars, enmities, alliances, eternal subterfuge. Fripp's vision brings the very stones and glass of cathedrals and castles to life. History becomes a tapestry which Eleanor works, stitch by stitch. At eighty-one, she hasn't much time. We feel her urgency, the ache in her knees, the chill in her bones. Will she finish before she dies? Her sorrow of lost love, lost children, lost time is as real as the triumphs of her extraordinary life. Eleanor emerges as a woman of great wisdom, dearly won. A real woman, with a strong sense of her place in this life and the next. What a great read! This is so gripping. I got so totally caught up in this story one night that I woke up with images of Eleanor in my mind, and Kate Hepburn's voice in my ear. I love this story."

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read for History Buffs and Non-Buffs, August 20, 2007

By 

George P. Lynes II "GPL2" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Power of a Woman. Memoirs of a turbulent life: Eleanor of Aquitaine (Paperback)

"Power of a Woman" captures the moment in 1203 when the 80-year old
Eleanor of Aquitaine, near the end of her life and feeling mortal,
reflects on the life she has lived, and the loves and hurts she has
survived. To capture the essence of Eleanor, (queen of first France and
then England, mother of Richard the Lionheart and King John of Magna
Carta fame), the author has successfully parked his gender beside his
name on the title page and written Eleanor's memoirs through the mind of
this medieval woman.

Jane Rady Lynes, NY