Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine

[Mythica]

I don't normally recommend "When Christ" as an Eleanor novel - I loved the book but Eleanor only comes in near the end, it's more about Matilida and Stephen.

I have read Nora Lofts' "Eleanor the Queen", Christy English's "To Be Queen", and Jean Plaidy's "Courts of Love". English's novel is based on Eleanor's early life in France and has good prose. Plaidy's writing style can take some getting used to but I thought her character assessment of Eleanor was great. Lofts' was fairly unmemorable except during Eleanor's captivity which was very well imagined but probably historically inaccurate.

Here is my list of known (to me) novels on Henry II and Eleanor (some may be out of print, self published or more based on Henry than Eleanor:

Time and Chance (Henry II & Eleanor of Aquitaine #2)*by Sharon Kay Penman
Devil’s Brood (Henry II & Eleanor of Aquitaine #3)*by Sharon Kay Penman
The Plantagenet Prelude (Plantagenets #1)*by Jean Plaidy
The Revolt of the Eaglets (Plantagenets #2)*by Jean Plaidy
The Queen’s Man (Justin de Quincy #1)*by Sharon Kay Penman
The Courts of Love*by Jean Plaidy
Captive Queen: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine*by Alison Weir
To Be Queen: A Novel of the Early Life of Eleanor of Aquitaine*by Christy English
The Queen’s Pawn*by Christy English
The Canterbury Papers: A Novel*by Judith Healey
Eleanor the Queen: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine*by Norah Lofts
Power of a Woman, Memoirs of a turbulent life: Eleanor of Aquitaine*by Robert Fripp
Duchess of Aquitane: A Novel of Eleanor*by Margaret Ball
Queen Defiant: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine (US)*/ Devil’s Consort (UK)*by Anne O’Brien
The Book of Eleanor: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine*by Pamela Kaufman
Beloved Enemy: The Passions of Eleanor of Aquitaine*by Ellen Jones
The Queen’s War: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine*by Jeanne MacKin
The Secret Eleanor: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine*by Ceclia Holland
For the King’s Favor*by Elizabeth Chadwick
The Queen’s Daughter*by Susan Coventry
Eleanor of Aquitaine*by Alan Savage
Queen of Love*by Alan Savage
Eleanor of Aquitaine*by Sheila Holland
The Lion of England (Lion Trilogy #1)*by Margaret Butler
The Lion of Justice (Lion Trilogy #2)*by Margaret Butler
The Lion of Christ (Lion Trilogy #3)*by Margaret Butler
A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver*by E.L. Konigsburg

[Nefret]

Nice list. I really need to read more of those novels.

[markrichard]

"Alienor : The Young Life of Eleanor of Aquitaine" came out this year about the girlhood of Eleanor, well researched based on the latest papers with a fresh twist on what made her who she became.