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REVOLT OF THE EAGLETS (The Plantagenet Saga)

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Jean Plaidy, world-renowned historical novelist, in this, the second book of her Plantagenet saga, chronicles the dysfunctional family of King Henry II of England and his Queen, Eleanor of Acquitaine, and their four sons, Henry, Richard, Geoffrey, and John. In many ways, it is reminiscent of the film, "A Lion in Winter".

This twelfth century family was a family at war with itself. The father, King Henry II, had mistresses, a situation that put him at odds with his headstrong, opinionated, and proud wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, who had nothing good to say about him once she discovered his perfidy and unfaithfulness and realized that it had taken place right under her very nose. As part of her revenge, she created a rift between the King and their sons. She had trained her eaglets to pluck out the eyes of the eagle. She aggravated Henry so much that finally held her in captivity.

His oldest son and namesake, Henry, whom he had crowned King, so that there would be an orderly transition upon his death, would not wait for his father to die so that he could take the reigns of power. He wanted the reigns and trappings of a king immediately and literally waged war upon his father. This would one day cost them both dearly, as Henry would not live to reap the fruit of his coronation.

Richard, Eleanor's favorite and beloved son, loathed his father and there was no love lost between them. Yet, he is the son who was probably most king-like in his bearing. To add insult to injury, his father took Richard's betrothed, Alice, the young daughter of the King of France, as his mistress when she was no more than a child. This was really no skin off Richard's back, even though it was insulting, as Richard really hankered after Alice's brother, Philip, the future king of France with whom Richard had a "special" relationship.

Geoffrey would join his brother Henry and take up arms against his father. John, the youngest, would play upon his father's sensibilities and make Henry think that John was someone other than what he truly was, a cruel, craven, and dissolute youth. So much so did John fool him, that Henry eventually declared that John was to be his successor to the throne, incurring Richard's lifelong enmity.

It would be Eleanor who would have the last laugh, however, as she would survive her captivity and, even though she was about twelve years Henry's senior, she would also survive Henry. Eleanor would go on to see her favorite son, Richard the Lionhearted, crowned King of England.

This is an engrossing and enjoyable work of historical fiction.

What can you say about Henry II and his brood? If he expected his sons to be any less ambitious than he was then he was sadly mistaken.

This book picks up where The Plantagenet Prelude left off. Most of Henry and Eleanor's children have grown up and married. Eleanor is prisoner through most of this book and Henry is left to defend his kingdom alone without her help and support. She knows things about his children that he refuses to see, or just plain doesn't care to see.

Henry makes the disastrous mistake of crowning his son Henry king while he is still alive, but doesn't give Young Henry any power when the time comes. This causes Henry to resent his father and for him to come up with numerous plans to unseat him, or at least for him to give him what he believes is truly his. He also does the same for Richard, in giving him Aquitaine, the land his mother originally wanted him to have anyway, and Geoffery, in marrying him into Brittany. John is too young at this time, but he begins to groom him to take over the throne if anything should happen to Young Henry. Henry II also tries to make John into the son he believes he never had.

The book is pretty action packed. Full of battles between father and sons, father and one son against the others, Henry again the King of France, Phillip II, who is very smart, very wily and befriends Richard.

It's also a very sad book because you feel that Henry, in his advancing age, is just looking for the love he never had, looking to give what love he can. No one seems to be able to understand exactly what's going on in his mind.

The book ends with his death. He dies a very heart broken man. Two sons are dead. One fighting against him and the one, the very one he loves most of all, is a coward, a traitor, a deserter.

Richard is now Richard I. He is earning the legend we know him by now. He is king and we are ready for the next book.

This book was a great history lesson. I wanted so to like Henry II, but it was quite difficult as he made promises to just about everyone that he never intended to keep. He had many mistresses, one in particular who, at the beginning of his 'love' for her, was only twelve and he was a GREAT deal older.

Henry II kept his estranged wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, captive for over twelve years, although her captivity was far from a prison. Henry allowed her to see her sons and one of her daughters from time to time.
He longed for an affectionate son. Just one. But his wish was never granted, even until the end with his high hopes for young John.

I found this book, the second in the Plantagenet series, to be enjoyable, yet at times I wanted it to end sooner than it did. I hate to say that about any of Jean Plaidy's books, for I really enjoy each one I read up until the end. But this book had moments where it drug on a bit too long or repeated things a great deal.

Aside from this, I recommend this book for a good history lesson about Henry II and his power hungry sons, his beautiful and vengeful wife Eleanor and his great rule-for he was a great and feared ruler. He was just as selfish and power hungry as his sons and wife.
How could he have expected anything else from his family?

Jean Plaidy, world-renowned historical novelist, in this, the second book of her Plantagenet saga, chronicles the dysfunctional family of King Henry II of England and his Queen, Eleanor of Acquitaine, and their four sons, Henry, Richard, Geoffrey, and John. In many ways, it is reminiscent of the film, "A Lion in Winter".

This twelfth century family was a family at war with itself. The father, King Henry II, had mistresses, a situation that put him at odds with his headstrong, opinionated, and proud wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, who had nothing good to say about him once she discovered his perfidy and unfaithfulness and realized that it had taken place right under her very nose. As part of her revenge, she created a rift between the King and their sons. She had trained her eaglets to pluck out the eyes of the eagle. She aggravated Henry so much that finally held her in captivity.

His oldest son and namesake, Henry, whom he had crowned King, so that there would be an orderly transition upon his death, would not wait for his father to die so that he could take the reigns of power. He wanted the reigns and trappings of a king immediately and literally waged war upon his father. This would one day cost them both dearly, as Henry would not live to reap the fruit of his coronation.

Richard, Eleanor's favorite and beloved son, loathed his father and there was no love lost between them. Yet, he is the son who was probably most king-like in his bearing. To add insult to injury, his father took Richard's betrothed, Alice, the young daughter of the King of France, as his mistress when she was no more than a child. This was really no skin off Richard's back, even though it was insulting, as Richard really hankered after Alice's brother, Philip, the future king of France with whom Richard had a "special" relationship.

Geoffrey would join his brother Henry and take up arms against his father. John, the youngest, would play upon his father's sensibilities and make Henry think that John was someone other than what he truly was, a cruel, craven, and dissolute youth. So much so did John fool him, that Henry eventually declared that John was to be his successor to the throne, incurring Richard's lifelong enmity.

It would be Eleanor who would have the last laugh, however, as she would survive her captivity and, even though she was about twelve years Henry's senior, she would also survive Henry. Eleanor would go on to see her favorite son, Richard the Lionhearted, crowned King of England.

This is an engrossing and enjoyable work of historical fiction.

We are enjoying the Norman Trilogy obtained through your excellent services, and now the Revolt of Eagles is added to the Plantagenent saga. All in excellent condition and a welcome addition to our library of readable and re-readable literature, thanks to Amazon and its clients who supply these sometimes hard to get books.
James A Perry

It is a pity that Mrs. Plaidy had to resort to myths to create this story. As well as the prior volume ("The Plantagenet Prelude"), this book has several historical inaccuracies. For example, there is no historical support to corroborate her story that Henry II had an affair with (princess) Alys (Alice in the book) the daughter of the French king (Louis VII), betrothed to his son Richard. Somewhere in the book Louis mentions the fact that Adele had given him Philipp and two other children, Alice and Agnes; but Alice was born five years before, from Louis' prior wife Constancia de Castilla (who was also mother to Marguerite). With Adele he had Philippe II and Agnes only. It is disappointing that she should err so much. I wonder if next she will tell us the myth that Philipp II and Richard the Lionhearted had a homosexual relationship!