Eleanor of Aquitaine

boswellbaxter · Post by **boswellbaxter** » Sun February 1st, 2009, 3:39 am

There's a new biography of her due out, I see on Amy's blog. EC or anyone else know anything about it?

http://www.amazon.com/Eleanor-Aquitaine ... 4&sr=1-566

annis · Post by **annis** » Sun February 1st, 2009, 6:07 am

The Amazon blurb says <Turner focuses on a wealth of primary sources, including a collection of Eleanor’s own documents not previously accessible to scholars>

I'm curious about what this collection of documents might have consisted of.

*EDIT This other book mentioned on Amy's blog about about Eleanor Talbot also looks interesting.
"Eleanor, the Secret Queen: The Woman Who Put Richard III on the Throne" by John Ashdown-Hill
http://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/Defaul ... uctID=8190

EC2 · Post by **EC2** » Sun February 1st, 2009, 12:09 pm

Boswell, I hadn't heart of this one, but I shall certainly be buying it. I have the Turner book on King John but it isn't actually that good. It relies mainly on secondary sources and is basically a much weaker and less detailed rehash of the W.L. Warren. I'm gathering material on Eleanor at the moment though, so I'll add it to my research shelf anyway. Thanks for the heads up Boswell and Amy.

LCW · Post by **LCW** » Sun February 1st, 2009, 8:53 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]

I finished Queen of Swords a few weeks ago and I loved it! Most of what I know about Eleanor of Aquitaine came from SKP's novels which present somewhat of a romanticized version of her. This novel, I thought, presented her in a much more brutally realistic way. It protrayed her as a power hungry temptress and showed so clearly how different she was from the women in her time. It was a very interesting take on her.

Like Ash said, the novel wasn't focused on her but she showed up quite a bit, esp the last half of the novel. I highly recommend that one and it's going on my keeper shelf!

ETA: SKP presents her as more of a grand larger than life, a "force to be reckoned with", whereas here she seems more human and flawed. Not that I don't think SKP's version is realistic, and I certainly don't think it's shallow or one dimensional, it's just a very different portrayal than what is presented in QoS, that's all!

EC2 · Post by **EC2** » Sun February 1st, 2009, 9:26 pm

I loved Queen of Swords too, LCW. In some ways Judith Tarr reminded me of Dorothy Dunnett in that novel with her employment of language. I must re-read it at some point. Definitely a keeper as you say.

enelya · Post by **enelya** » Thu February 5th, 2009, 7:35 pm

Eleanor is certainly one of my favorite characters...so fascinating.I think the dubiuos, scandalous things being written about her were mainly used for propaganda purposes, and it is very hard for modern people to sift the truth from the chronicles.
What I like about her is that she was so active, untill very late in her life. She traveled over the Pyrenees to fetch her son a bride.
I have to add, I would love to read an EC book on her, those books always seem so much more tactile. It feels like I can step in the pages.
I will make sure tp pick up the Judith Tarr book as well.

Susan C · Post by **Susan C** » Fri July 24th, 2009, 5:20 pm

I'm sorry, I'm new here. Which author is being referred to as EC?

EC2 · Post by **EC2** » Fri July 24th, 2009, 5:23 pm

[quote=""Susan C""]I'm sorry, I'm new here. Which author is being referred to as EC?[/quote]

Hi Susan C. It's me - aka Elizabeth Chadwick. I'm here as a reader of Historical fiction and to generally hang out - only do the writer thing if asked something specific.

zsigandr · Post by **zsigandr** » Fri July 24th, 2009, 7:59 pm

I love books about Eleanor of Aquitaine and will be looking for Queen of Swords now. I had never heard of this book so I will now try to find a copy. There are always so many great recommendations on this site!

I too, would love to see EC write about her enelya!
Andrea

SonjaMarie · Post by **SonjaMarie** » Tue August 25th, 2009, 3:56 am

So has anyone read "Beloved Enemy" by Ellen Jones? I can't tell if it was that book that had a ewww scene with her uncle or a different one, if it's this one, then no thanks!

SM