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Eleanor of Aquitaine

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Carine
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Post by Carine » Fri September 12th, 2008, 6:00 am

In the Plantagenet Prelude Jean Plaidy also refers to Eleanor having a fling with Saladin.

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diamondlil
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Post by diamondlil » Fri September 12th, 2008, 9:43 am

It's strange isn't it. I would have thought her real life was amazing enough as it was without adding in extra bits as well!
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Post by Ash » Fri September 12th, 2008, 1:23 pm

Hee, really.

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Post by EC2 » Fri September 12th, 2008, 3:17 pm

[quote=""Ash""]One of my favorite Eleanor novels (aside from the Penman books) is Judith Tarr's Queen of Swords. The book itself is really about the crusade as seen through the eyes of the Byzantines in the area, but there is a great bit of Eliz leading the army into battle

My fav non fiction is Amy Kelly's Eleanor and the Four Kings. I don't remember any mention of a relationship with her uncle; I suspect like many bright, powerful and outspoken women, rumors flew around her unchecked.[/quote]

Yes, Queen of Swords is just beautifully written. It's on my keeper shelf. I also have Amy Kelly's bio on my reference TBR although I've only skimmed it. I've been pretty impressed by Douglas Boyd's Eleanor: April Queen of Aquitaine.
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Post by annis » Mon October 13th, 2008, 8:33 pm

I'm intrigued to pick up from Ariadne's "Reading the Past" blog that Cecelia Holland has a novel about Eleanor due for publication in 2010.

<Cecelia Holland's THE SECRET HISTORY OF ELEANOR OF AQUITAINE, the intriguing and sensual life of one of history's most fascinating queens, to Susan Allison at Berkley, for publication in Spring 2010, in a two-book deal, by Susanna Einstein at LJK Literary Management (NA). [Wow. The choice of subject took me by surprise, and with the switch to a new publisher, this means we'll be seeing her books in stores once again].>

It will be very interesting to see what CH does with the subject.

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Post by Leyland » Mon October 13th, 2008, 8:52 pm

[quote=""annis""]I'm intrigued to pick up from Ariadne's "Reading the Past" blog that Cecelia Holland has a novel about Eleanor due for publication in 2010.

It will be very interesting to see what CH does with the subject.[/quote]

I'm totally with you, annis! I'll definitely get a copy the day released.

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Post by EC2 » Mon October 13th, 2008, 9:03 pm

There's an Eleanor novel by a man called Power of a Woman. Anyone read it? I've forgotten his name without looking it up.

I have to admit that Eleanor has been on my list to write about for some time.
But then one doesn't want to get into the Boleyn situation - where the world and his wife are writing about the woman and it just becomes overkill.
Les proz e les vassals
Souvent entre piez de chevals
Kar ja li coard n’I chasront

'The Brave and the valiant
Are always to be found between the hooves of horses
For never will cowards fall down there.'

Histoire de Guillaume le Mareschal

www.elizabethchadwick.com

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Post by annis » Mon October 13th, 2008, 9:21 pm

The author of "The Power of a Woman: Eleanor of Acquitaine" is Robert Fripp, EC. I haven't read it, though it's had good reviews.
A bit from his website:
http://robertfripp.ca/index.cfm?fuseact ... tionID=152

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Post by EC2 » Mon October 13th, 2008, 9:34 pm

[quote=""annis""]The author of "The Power of a Woman: Eleanor of Acquitaine" is Robert Fripp, EC. I haven't read it, though it's had good reviews.
A bit from his website:
http://robertfripp.ca/index.cfm?fuseact ... tionID=152[/quote]

Thanks Annis. I remember being intrigued because he says he knows from studying the sources what Eleanor looked like and that (I think) her eyes were blue. I wondered what sources they were. It was a book I thought about ordering and didn't get around to. I've just been to look again and it's interesting that it is endorsed by Melissa Snell because she writes a regular internet newsletter about medieval history and doesn't generally like historical fiction.
Last edited by EC2 on Mon October 13th, 2008, 9:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: forgot to add something.
Les proz e les vassals
Souvent entre piez de chevals
Kar ja li coard n’I chasront

'The Brave and the valiant
Are always to be found between the hooves of horses
For never will cowards fall down there.'

Histoire de Guillaume le Mareschal

www.elizabethchadwick.com

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Post by cw gortner » Tue October 14th, 2008, 4:53 am

[QUOTE=Ash;3858]One of my favorite Eleanor novels (aside from the Penman books) is Judith Tarr's Queen of Swords.

Queen of Swords is one of my favorite historical fiction novels, though I think it got poor marketing support from the publisher. Tarr went on to make a big splash with her prehistoric horse /goddess series, but I didn't like those nearly as much. I remember the bit of Eleanor riding on crusade, too; she's portrayed vividly, as is Melisande of Jerusalem. Excellent book!

Another Eleanor book I liked quite a bit was Margaret Ball's Duchess of Acquitaine, which has a fascinating publication story attached to it. In it, Eleanor has a pagan bent; but it's far less pronounced than, say, the women in The Mists of Avalon. Plus, the writing is quite beautiful.
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