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Eleanor of Aquitaine: Queen of France and England, Mother of Empires
Eleanor of Aquitaine's story sometimes seems so extreme it ought to be made up. The headlines: orphaned as a child, Duchess in her own right, Queen of France, crusader, survivor of a terrible battle, kidnapped by her own husband, kidnapped by pirates, divorced for barrenness, Countess of Anjou, Queen of England, mother of at least five sons and five daughters, rebel against her own husband, prisoner for 15 years, ruler of England in her own right, traveler across the Pyrenees and Alps in winter in her seventies, and mentor to the most remarkable Queen medieval France was to know (her own granddaughter, obviously). Eleanor of Aquitaine’s life has also been subjected to successive reinventions over the years, with the facts often losing the battle with speculation and wishful thinking. In this biography Sara Cockerill has gone back to the primary sources, and the wealth of recent first rate scholarship, and assessed which of the claims about Eleanor can be sustained on the evidence. The result is a complete re-evaluation of this remarkable woman’s even more remarkable life. A number of often repeated myths are debunked and a fresh version of Eleanor emerges. In addition Sara Cockerill has added her own research, breaking new ground on Eleanor’s relationship with the Church, her supposed antipathy to Thomas Becket and her relationships with all of her children, including her family by her first marriage.
480 pages, Hardcover
Published June 1, 2020
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December 19, 2019
Having read this book my question is: what is it trying to do?
I am a student at the history department and as a rule I usually never read non-fiction in history by non-scholars for the simple reason that they often get it wrong (a fact learned from experience), and because sometimes laymen’s’ “contribution” is outright dangerous as it feeds new legends, and if there is one thing Eleanor doesn’t need it’s more legends surrounding her. After all these centuries and black legends she deserves better. But this book was so anticipated and Cockerill got good reviews on her last project, so I decided to make an exception to see if she could prove my rule wrong. Spoiler alert: She did not.
Cockerill starts this book grand. In the preface she drags ealier biographies on Eleanor for speculation and legend. I only assume she includes the scholarly literature in this too. A weird remark to make as a non-scholar. On top of this she blows up her own importance in the scholarly timeline to interesting levels for a non-scholar, stating clearly that her book is what is missing to the field. That she is giving us all what we have been missing. After this she continues by expressing her disappointment in Eleanor as a subject, telling the readers we are in for a letdown we can’t even imagine. She assures the reader some of the people she has told the story to have even walked away feeling visibly disappointed. While she goes on about this it is good to know she is a big fan of Micheal Evans’ book on Eleanor which is clearly reflected in her work. (For those of you unfamiliar with the whole Eleanor universe Evans released a book a few years back addressing the myths around Eleanor. While a good initiative the book has apparently grown its own Eleanor-skeptical camp.) Oddly, Cockerill starts her book in this spirit with marking how unremarkable her subject is and how disappointed she is in her. A weird way to start a book of over 400 pages on one of the most powerful women in medieval Europe who had an effect on the continent hundreds of years after her death. On top of this she assures the reader the point of her book is to give us the clean slate pure and simple for the first time ever. Her book is here to give us truth and nothing but the truth on Eleanor. Apparently something historians haven’t been able to do (as she indirectly expresses). What a build-up, I thought to myself. Let’s see if she delivers on her promise.
She did not.
First of all, Cockerill employs an assured tone in her knowledge, but she is not a historian. I can’t stress this enough, because it is noticeable in her writing and thought-process throughout. This is problematic since her subject is complex twice over. First of all, she writes of the Middle Ages which is a hard period to truly grasp, nevertheless to write about. Secondly, she is trying to write about a woman in this age. Research on women in the medieval world is new and limited. No fact in this is given to you for free. In other words, to give an honest view as close to fact as possible there is a lot, and I do mean *a lot* of reading up and study to be done beforehand. Even scholars who have this area as their speciality note how hard it is to grasp information sometimes, marking how many hours of research and thinking is behind. Having read the book I am not at all sure Cockerill has done this homework. She falls into traps constantly, going too far with too little material. Sometimes to a point where it gets ridiculous. I recognize the style from Alison Weir’s Eleanor biography and Marion Meade’s as well. Meade’s book has backfired the last couple of years because it doesn’t hold at all. I do believe this book will meet the same fate, because instead of sticking to what she has material to cover Cockerill constantly flares out into territory where the ice is too thin. And it breaks. All the time. Early on I felt like she’s building a story without enough material or the proportions for it. The guesswork and speculations she blamed everyone else for is constantly present, ironically enough.
Let’s be honest, Cockerill is a barrister, and I would argue she writes history like a lawyer. As a history student, I miss the methodology of historians. The alternative explanations, the humbleness and never going out boldly with a statement without evidence to truly support our weight. The respect in front of our task, constantly trying new perspectives and accepting we aren’t all-knowing beings. When I read this book though, I feel like she is trying to discredit everyone else and convince me of her view being the right and true one. We are in court and she is defending her view on Eleanor. But the prosecutor’s side is gaining on her constantly. The text contains several mistakes, some blatant, and far-fetched speculations. Sometimes stories are repeated without questioning the sources, legends are presented as facts. She seems to even forget at points that she is writing about the medieval age, which becomes incredibly problematic.
On p. 89-90 when she gives a suggestion on why Eleanor didn’t turn up in Poitiers in 1138, is a perfect example of when she takes the material too far. Same thing happens on p. 91 when she not only disclaims Eleanor’s power in her relationship to Louis based only on the few charters (scholars argue she used her power through Louis, not in charters) and yet again blows her speculations way out of proportion in saying that there was a deliberate policy in place to keep her out (what..?) and pins up the hate for her influence from the legacy of Adedelaide of Maurienne as reason. There is no evidence at all to support this. She does things like this constantly, and it is disconcerting with what ease she presents it. I could go on and on, but I’ll just give you some examples:
At p. 49 it is stated that to the 30 year old William death was a “distant prospect”. This is part of her argument for Eleanor not being meant or prepared for becoming duchess of Aquitaine. Again, this is the medieval world. Battles and diseases haunted by death were everywhere. No one could be too sure despite their age. From the cradle to old age (hence the heir and a spare-expression). Once again I doubt if she is really thinking in medieval terms while writing.
This argument continues on p. 52, where she states that if Eleanor had been considered the heiress to Aquitaine “it is almost certain that her future would have been settled at an earlier age”. No, it’s not. There is a myriad of different possible reasons why William had yet to betroth his daughter to anyone (as everyone before her has stated). Yes, his excommunication was a problem, but if he was truly concerned for a male heir or marrying his daughter away he could’ve found an end to the conflict sooner. Really, that he didn’t betroth Eleanor (or Aelith) to anyone for all these years could be for many different reasons. But we know too little about the situation so we can’t know what he was thinking. But what we can know is that if William was truly stressing out on the point of having another male heir he had 6 long years to clear that business out between Aenor’s death and his own. That’s a long time. We simply don’t know what his plan was, but Cockerill uses these events as “evidence” for her views when really they prove nothing. Again, I doubt her judgement.
Building on this, on p. 51, she suggests William went on pilgrimage in spring 1137 in order to clear his name so he could marry Emma of Limoges. The only problem being that Emma was already remarried the year before.
P. 58 she assumes Dangereuse supported her daughter Aenor in educating Eleanor and several other young noble women for their future. Again, without any evidence but only speculation (and wishful thinking?) presented as fact.
On p. 62 she keeps on pointing out surprise at how religious life must have been for Eleanor. Again, we are in medieval Europe. What did she expect? On this and neighboring pages she also makes a lot of assumptions on the importance of different cultures (like the Islamic one from the Iberian) on Eleanor’s early years. Ending with that Eleanor must have been a young girl with a thorough understanding of other cultures more so than other girls of her age. This is pure speculation going way, way too far.
And to a major one: A point she drives through later is about the relationship between Eleanor and Henry. Cockerill argues they were probably not very emotionally attached to each other, almost completely uninterested, spending much time apart. Again she steps into territory way beyond what she can prove with evidence and reason. No one doubts Eleanor’s and Henry’s marriage was a business deal. Marriages in this time within the nobility were political first and foremost. Personal attachment came second. But for a husband and wife who supposedly weren’t very interested in each other they sure had a lot of children (8 or 9 children in 13 years!). Way beyond an heir and a spare. The number of sons in fact turned out to become a problem and headache for them both and was possibly one reason behind the trouble that built up to the revolt. This is no evidence, but for a couple supposedly uninterested in each other the amount is curious. Henry was a busy king, just as Eleanor was a busy queen. Together they had to govern an area more than twice as large as England, hence their time apart could be as much for practical reasons as anything. Certainly not an argument for personal emotion. I do think their relationship was very complicated, also in that they were both unusual people. Whatever they felt is hard to know today, but I do not believe in the cold indifference Cockerill argues. True evidence points against it (and there is more of that but on to the next).
If her speculations weren’t enough there are several factual wrongs. Some major and some minor.
For example, on p. 91 she states Eleanor was 15 in 1138, but Eleanor was, also due to her own account, born in 1124 which with simples maths would make her 14... On p. 49 it is stated the young Geoffrey of Anjou had succeeded his father before he married Empress Matilda, and his military capabilities in this title so recommended him to Henry I of England as a match for his daughter the Empress. This is wrong. It was Henry himself who knighted him before this marriage (a ceremony which was a big step to adulthood for young men of the nobility) confirming him into adulthood, and Geoffrey only became count a year *after* his marriage to Matilda. A marriage which his father set up before he left for Jerusalem, and left his titles for his son.
There’s just too much weird stuff going on. So much so that I started skipping after only 50 pages to different events to see what she could be coming up with next.
I’ve read most of the non-fiction literature there is on Eleanor out there. Let’s be honest: the best you can find is still Ralph V Turner’s brilliant biography on Eleanor. Neither is Helen Castor’s chapter on her far behind. Then again, they are scholars. If I am being brutally honest this book is a pop-written revamp of Ralph Turner’s version. The additions Cockerill does come with are often of a speculative manner, completely irrelevant additions falling apart under slight scrutiny.
I am disappointed. I truly am. I was looking forward to this book and all its promises, but instead I feel cheated. For a long time now I’ve longed for the ultimate balanced biography on Eleanor. One which really digs deep into research and argues well for its standpoints, as so many scholars are asking for as well (not that I do not respect some of the scholarly-written literature so far, but they are more starting points for the subject, asking for more research themselves). I definitely fell for the lure and walked into the trap with this one. I’ve seen other reviews expressing the same disappointment though which gives some solace in that at least I am not alone.
Don’t get me wrong. If she had kept to what she could prove, telling that story only and not leaned so much on speculation this would have been something completely else. I wanted it to be that something else too. I did long to read this book, and perhaps that is why I am so disappointed. I do respect her work to want to give something new to the Eleanor world, but nothing in this world stays without evidence supporting you.
I want research into Eleanor to continue, but not like this. Not speculation. Give me serious scholarship, with serious theories holding up. We deserve to not be fooled and Eleanor deserves to be properly researched.
Meanwhile, friends, if you want the most balanced account on Eleanor out there you will have to keep to the scholarly literature. The subject is just too tricky without having proper background to balance yourself when writing. That’s my best advice.
Peace.
I am a student at the history department and as a rule I usually never read non-fiction in history by non-scholars for the simple reason that they often get it wrong (a fact learned from experience), and because sometimes laymen’s’ “contribution” is outright dangerous as it feeds new legends, and if there is one thing Eleanor doesn’t need it’s more legends surrounding her. After all these centuries and black legends she deserves better. But this book was so anticipated and Cockerill got good reviews on her last project, so I decided to make an exception to see if she could prove my rule wrong. Spoiler alert: She did not.
Cockerill starts this book grand. In the preface she drags ealier biographies on Eleanor for speculation and legend. I only assume she includes the scholarly literature in this too. A weird remark to make as a non-scholar. On top of this she blows up her own importance in the scholarly timeline to interesting levels for a non-scholar, stating clearly that her book is what is missing to the field. That she is giving us all what we have been missing. After this she continues by expressing her disappointment in Eleanor as a subject, telling the readers we are in for a letdown we can’t even imagine. She assures the reader some of the people she has told the story to have even walked away feeling visibly disappointed. While she goes on about this it is good to know she is a big fan of Micheal Evans’ book on Eleanor which is clearly reflected in her work. (For those of you unfamiliar with the whole Eleanor universe Evans released a book a few years back addressing the myths around Eleanor. While a good initiative the book has apparently grown its own Eleanor-skeptical camp.) Oddly, Cockerill starts her book in this spirit with marking how unremarkable her subject is and how disappointed she is in her. A weird way to start a book of over 400 pages on one of the most powerful women in medieval Europe who had an effect on the continent hundreds of years after her death. On top of this she assures the reader the point of her book is to give us the clean slate pure and simple for the first time ever. Her book is here to give us truth and nothing but the truth on Eleanor. Apparently something historians haven’t been able to do (as she indirectly expresses). What a build-up, I thought to myself. Let’s see if she delivers on her promise.
She did not.
First of all, Cockerill employs an assured tone in her knowledge, but she is not a historian. I can’t stress this enough, because it is noticeable in her writing and thought-process throughout. This is problematic since her subject is complex twice over. First of all, she writes of the Middle Ages which is a hard period to truly grasp, nevertheless to write about. Secondly, she is trying to write about a woman in this age. Research on women in the medieval world is new and limited. No fact in this is given to you for free. In other words, to give an honest view as close to fact as possible there is a lot, and I do mean *a lot* of reading up and study to be done beforehand. Even scholars who have this area as their speciality note how hard it is to grasp information sometimes, marking how many hours of research and thinking is behind. Having read the book I am not at all sure Cockerill has done this homework. She falls into traps constantly, going too far with too little material. Sometimes to a point where it gets ridiculous. I recognize the style from Alison Weir’s Eleanor biography and Marion Meade’s as well. Meade’s book has backfired the last couple of years because it doesn’t hold at all. I do believe this book will meet the same fate, because instead of sticking to what she has material to cover Cockerill constantly flares out into territory where the ice is too thin. And it breaks. All the time. Early on I felt like she’s building a story without enough material or the proportions for it. The guesswork and speculations she blamed everyone else for is constantly present, ironically enough.
Let’s be honest, Cockerill is a barrister, and I would argue she writes history like a lawyer. As a history student, I miss the methodology of historians. The alternative explanations, the humbleness and never going out boldly with a statement without evidence to truly support our weight. The respect in front of our task, constantly trying new perspectives and accepting we aren’t all-knowing beings. When I read this book though, I feel like she is trying to discredit everyone else and convince me of her view being the right and true one. We are in court and she is defending her view on Eleanor. But the prosecutor’s side is gaining on her constantly. The text contains several mistakes, some blatant, and far-fetched speculations. Sometimes stories are repeated without questioning the sources, legends are presented as facts. She seems to even forget at points that she is writing about the medieval age, which becomes incredibly problematic.
On p. 89-90 when she gives a suggestion on why Eleanor didn’t turn up in Poitiers in 1138, is a perfect example of when she takes the material too far. Same thing happens on p. 91 when she not only disclaims Eleanor’s power in her relationship to Louis based only on the few charters (scholars argue she used her power through Louis, not in charters) and yet again blows her speculations way out of proportion in saying that there was a deliberate policy in place to keep her out (what..?) and pins up the hate for her influence from the legacy of Adedelaide of Maurienne as reason. There is no evidence at all to support this. She does things like this constantly, and it is disconcerting with what ease she presents it. I could go on and on, but I’ll just give you some examples:
At p. 49 it is stated that to the 30 year old William death was a “distant prospect”. This is part of her argument for Eleanor not being meant or prepared for becoming duchess of Aquitaine. Again, this is the medieval world. Battles and diseases haunted by death were everywhere. No one could be too sure despite their age. From the cradle to old age (hence the heir and a spare-expression). Once again I doubt if she is really thinking in medieval terms while writing.
This argument continues on p. 52, where she states that if Eleanor had been considered the heiress to Aquitaine “it is almost certain that her future would have been settled at an earlier age”. No, it’s not. There is a myriad of different possible reasons why William had yet to betroth his daughter to anyone (as everyone before her has stated). Yes, his excommunication was a problem, but if he was truly concerned for a male heir or marrying his daughter away he could’ve found an end to the conflict sooner. Really, that he didn’t betroth Eleanor (or Aelith) to anyone for all these years could be for many different reasons. But we know too little about the situation so we can’t know what he was thinking. But what we can know is that if William was truly stressing out on the point of having another male heir he had 6 long years to clear that business out between Aenor’s death and his own. That’s a long time. We simply don’t know what his plan was, but Cockerill uses these events as “evidence” for her views when really they prove nothing. Again, I doubt her judgement.
Building on this, on p. 51, she suggests William went on pilgrimage in spring 1137 in order to clear his name so he could marry Emma of Limoges. The only problem being that Emma was already remarried the year before.
P. 58 she assumes Dangereuse supported her daughter Aenor in educating Eleanor and several other young noble women for their future. Again, without any evidence but only speculation (and wishful thinking?) presented as fact.
On p. 62 she keeps on pointing out surprise at how religious life must have been for Eleanor. Again, we are in medieval Europe. What did she expect? On this and neighboring pages she also makes a lot of assumptions on the importance of different cultures (like the Islamic one from the Iberian) on Eleanor’s early years. Ending with that Eleanor must have been a young girl with a thorough understanding of other cultures more so than other girls of her age. This is pure speculation going way, way too far.
And to a major one: A point she drives through later is about the relationship between Eleanor and Henry. Cockerill argues they were probably not very emotionally attached to each other, almost completely uninterested, spending much time apart. Again she steps into territory way beyond what she can prove with evidence and reason. No one doubts Eleanor’s and Henry’s marriage was a business deal. Marriages in this time within the nobility were political first and foremost. Personal attachment came second. But for a husband and wife who supposedly weren’t very interested in each other they sure had a lot of children (8 or 9 children in 13 years!). Way beyond an heir and a spare. The number of sons in fact turned out to become a problem and headache for them both and was possibly one reason behind the trouble that built up to the revolt. This is no evidence, but for a couple supposedly uninterested in each other the amount is curious. Henry was a busy king, just as Eleanor was a busy queen. Together they had to govern an area more than twice as large as England, hence their time apart could be as much for practical reasons as anything. Certainly not an argument for personal emotion. I do think their relationship was very complicated, also in that they were both unusual people. Whatever they felt is hard to know today, but I do not believe in the cold indifference Cockerill argues. True evidence points against it (and there is more of that but on to the next).
If her speculations weren’t enough there are several factual wrongs. Some major and some minor.
For example, on p. 91 she states Eleanor was 15 in 1138, but Eleanor was, also due to her own account, born in 1124 which with simples maths would make her 14... On p. 49 it is stated the young Geoffrey of Anjou had succeeded his father before he married Empress Matilda, and his military capabilities in this title so recommended him to Henry I of England as a match for his daughter the Empress. This is wrong. It was Henry himself who knighted him before this marriage (a ceremony which was a big step to adulthood for young men of the nobility) confirming him into adulthood, and Geoffrey only became count a year *after* his marriage to Matilda. A marriage which his father set up before he left for Jerusalem, and left his titles for his son.
There’s just too much weird stuff going on. So much so that I started skipping after only 50 pages to different events to see what she could be coming up with next.
I’ve read most of the non-fiction literature there is on Eleanor out there. Let’s be honest: the best you can find is still Ralph V Turner’s brilliant biography on Eleanor. Neither is Helen Castor’s chapter on her far behind. Then again, they are scholars. If I am being brutally honest this book is a pop-written revamp of Ralph Turner’s version. The additions Cockerill does come with are often of a speculative manner, completely irrelevant additions falling apart under slight scrutiny.
I am disappointed. I truly am. I was looking forward to this book and all its promises, but instead I feel cheated. For a long time now I’ve longed for the ultimate balanced biography on Eleanor. One which really digs deep into research and argues well for its standpoints, as so many scholars are asking for as well (not that I do not respect some of the scholarly-written literature so far, but they are more starting points for the subject, asking for more research themselves). I definitely fell for the lure and walked into the trap with this one. I’ve seen other reviews expressing the same disappointment though which gives some solace in that at least I am not alone.
Don’t get me wrong. If she had kept to what she could prove, telling that story only and not leaned so much on speculation this would have been something completely else. I wanted it to be that something else too. I did long to read this book, and perhaps that is why I am so disappointed. I do respect her work to want to give something new to the Eleanor world, but nothing in this world stays without evidence supporting you.
I want research into Eleanor to continue, but not like this. Not speculation. Give me serious scholarship, with serious theories holding up. We deserve to not be fooled and Eleanor deserves to be properly researched.
Meanwhile, friends, if you want the most balanced account on Eleanor out there you will have to keep to the scholarly literature. The subject is just too tricky without having proper background to balance yourself when writing. That’s my best advice.
Peace.
November 26, 2019
This is a magisterial myth-buster of a biography, juxtaposing the drama of Eleanor of Aquitaine's life with rigorous scholarly insights. It also offers fascinating insights into twelfth-century England and France, the Second Crusade, and the birth of the Plantagenet monarch.
March 19, 2020
Impressive biography of an impressive woman. Rather too academic to make it an easy read but totally mpressed by the amount of research that went into it and fascinating to return to this period of history.
September 23, 2022
We all think we know about Eleanor of Aquitaine. Lion in Winter! Thomas a Beckett! My Dad’s story of her leading her troops into battle topless: “It was a bit chilly, but the men loved it!”
This is a new book that is real history, careful and thoughtful. So alas, no topless battles. Sara Cockrell is a good writer, and makes engaging measured arguments over the meaning of the little available information. Somehow, it’s not dull, even though the basis of many a point is court accounts and legal charters.
Hers is an amazing story, quieter than I thought, more church, reading books, teaching her sons and daughters. How did she survive all those births? She has 10 children — 2 with Louis VII and 8 with Henry II. Or the second crusade? Or numerous times of being kidnapped, imprisoned, or laid siege to? We know what happened but not much about the how or the emotional impact of it all.
Eleanor of Aquitaine was smart, patient, positive, and when Henry died she freed people who he had imprisoned because “she had learned from her own experience how painful captivity is for humankind and how sweet it is to emerge from prison with a joyful heart.” A quote from Roger of Howden, a contemporary who Cockrell believes may have been quoting Eleanor.
If you’re curious about this woman who was an ancestress of most of the crowned heads of Europe, and would like to glimpse her story despite the distance of 800 years, this is a great book.
This is a new book that is real history, careful and thoughtful. So alas, no topless battles. Sara Cockrell is a good writer, and makes engaging measured arguments over the meaning of the little available information. Somehow, it’s not dull, even though the basis of many a point is court accounts and legal charters.
Hers is an amazing story, quieter than I thought, more church, reading books, teaching her sons and daughters. How did she survive all those births? She has 10 children — 2 with Louis VII and 8 with Henry II. Or the second crusade? Or numerous times of being kidnapped, imprisoned, or laid siege to? We know what happened but not much about the how or the emotional impact of it all.
Eleanor of Aquitaine was smart, patient, positive, and when Henry died she freed people who he had imprisoned because “she had learned from her own experience how painful captivity is for humankind and how sweet it is to emerge from prison with a joyful heart.” A quote from Roger of Howden, a contemporary who Cockrell believes may have been quoting Eleanor.
If you’re curious about this woman who was an ancestress of most of the crowned heads of Europe, and would like to glimpse her story despite the distance of 800 years, this is a great book.
February 28, 2020
I have been really interested in Eleanor of Aquitaine as of late, and have listened to several podcasts and read articles about her. This being my first biography about her, I don't have a comparison to the other books mentioned in Cockerill's work. That being said, I did feel like I got some new information and a more nuanced picture of Eleanor than in other sources I have read.
One of the main difficulties of the book is that fact that there is so little primary source information about Eleanor, women, and women's lives during this period. Cockerill helps to describe this period by incorporating information about other historical women of the period and details from sources about other people, but it does lead to some inferences and speculation. It did feel like some portions of the book were piecing together her story from other sources and making inferences about her actions, but to be fair, there isn't an abundance of material from which Cockerill could draw.
I enjoyed the book and did find that I learned quite a bit about Eleanor and the time in which she lived. She's a really fascinating character, and Cockerill did a good job of describing the people around her as well and the places she lived.
One of the main difficulties of the book is that fact that there is so little primary source information about Eleanor, women, and women's lives during this period. Cockerill helps to describe this period by incorporating information about other historical women of the period and details from sources about other people, but it does lead to some inferences and speculation. It did feel like some portions of the book were piecing together her story from other sources and making inferences about her actions, but to be fair, there isn't an abundance of material from which Cockerill could draw.
I enjoyed the book and did find that I learned quite a bit about Eleanor and the time in which she lived. She's a really fascinating character, and Cockerill did a good job of describing the people around her as well and the places she lived.
February 16, 2020
Eleanor of Aquitaine is a figure larger than life. She is the symbol of the Middle Ages, a queen who is well-known outside the academia. There are countless books about her.
Sarah Cockerill's bio is the first one that incorporates the newest research about Eleanor to give a well-rounded picture of this queen. She is careful not to repeat the well-entrenched myths such as that Eleanor was beautiful (there are no physical descriptions of her) or that she had a conflict with her mother-in-law Adelaide of Maurienne.
People familiar with the Eleanor scholarship will find this book a breath of fresh air because the author didn't fell into a trap of representing Eleanor as unique (because she wasn't - there were many 12th century women who wielded power) and steered clear from repeating myths.
I read this book with interest because of the author's style of writing and her ability to navigate through the primary sources.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the medieval period.
Sarah Cockerill's bio is the first one that incorporates the newest research about Eleanor to give a well-rounded picture of this queen. She is careful not to repeat the well-entrenched myths such as that Eleanor was beautiful (there are no physical descriptions of her) or that she had a conflict with her mother-in-law Adelaide of Maurienne.
People familiar with the Eleanor scholarship will find this book a breath of fresh air because the author didn't fell into a trap of representing Eleanor as unique (because she wasn't - there were many 12th century women who wielded power) and steered clear from repeating myths.
I read this book with interest because of the author's style of writing and her ability to navigate through the primary sources.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the medieval period.
July 31, 2021
An extraordinarily well-researched biography that demonstrates how little we really know about this 12th century queen of France and then England. Cockerill takes pains to examine the stories that have been told over the centuries about Eleanor's life and, by evaluating the source material, concludes that much of what we "know" about Eleanor is not accurate and that many of the more outrageous stories (riding bare-breasted through Anatolia during the Second Crusade, committing incest with her uncle, having an affair with Saladin, being a bad mother, etc.) were written by those with axes to grind or who were in no position to have obtained accurate information. The author was a lawyer and at times this biography reads somewhat like a defense brief. But those who persevere will br rewarded with a better understanding of this fascinating person and 12th century European power politics.
April 26, 2023
BOOK REVIEW ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
So it turns out that quite a bit of what we thought we knew about Eleanor of Aquitaine is the perpetuation of a really old (13th C.) smear campaign, or a product of historical hypotheses unsubstantiated by contemporaneous records. Either way, the outrageous Eleanor disappears, replaced with a more balanced portrait, who is nonetheless remarkable. I really enjoyed this, though I did rewatch “The Lion in Winter” (1968) to get another hit of Katherine Hepburn’s star turn as Eleanor, because knowing the truth and reveling in art are two different things altogether!
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2023 Reviewed 📚 19
So it turns out that quite a bit of what we thought we knew about Eleanor of Aquitaine is the perpetuation of a really old (13th C.) smear campaign, or a product of historical hypotheses unsubstantiated by contemporaneous records. Either way, the outrageous Eleanor disappears, replaced with a more balanced portrait, who is nonetheless remarkable. I really enjoyed this, though I did rewatch “The Lion in Winter” (1968) to get another hit of Katherine Hepburn’s star turn as Eleanor, because knowing the truth and reveling in art are two different things altogether!
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2023 Reviewed 📚 19
February 17, 2020
She writes off some myths but makes up new ones herself. The book contains factual wrongs and weird perspectives or flat out misconceptions about the middle age. It clears out one thing and then confuses two others again. Some of her “evidence” proves nothing really but she presents it over its capacity for you to believe it. I see some people take serious her claim that Eleanor was not unique but she has clearly misunderstood what made Eleanor unique (it was not the fact that she wielded power). I agree with another reviewer. The real Eleanor is as elusive as ever.
It is noticeable this is not a scholar’s work and to me it falls just as flat as earlier laymen’s “biographies”. I do not recommend it for those who are serious about learning who Eleanor truly was.
It is noticeable this is not a scholar’s work and to me it falls just as flat as earlier laymen’s “biographies”. I do not recommend it for those who are serious about learning who Eleanor truly was.
August 19, 2020
I have read countless articles and books on Eleanor. I admire her so greatly, my only child is named after her. This book promised to dispel myths about Eleanor, but I feel like most of those myths have already been dispelled in other recent writings about her. Even so I feel like the book is well-researched and used many sources that I have used in my own research of Eleanor. There is speculation here just as there is in literally every other book ever written about Eleanor because at the end of the day we honestly just don’t know enough about her. But we keep reading and researching and writing these books because we want to know her so badly. Review to come.
June 10, 2020
I was looking for a good biography of Eleanor for years, and was delighted to read this one.
It was really good, measured, considered, and human.
And then in chapter 10, I think the editor went on vacation, as suddenly things were happening in the 1990s, instead of the 1190s.
I learned a lot! And I thought I knew a lot, but I didn't. Well done, Cockerill. It took me awhile to read, but you know... *gestures at the world*.
It was really good, measured, considered, and human.
And then in chapter 10, I think the editor went on vacation, as suddenly things were happening in the 1990s, instead of the 1190s.
I learned a lot! And I thought I knew a lot, but I didn't. Well done, Cockerill. It took me awhile to read, but you know... *gestures at the world*.
January 7, 2022
Fabulously researched work that returns to the sources to assess the truth of this legendary queen. Cockerill writes clearly and engagingly. The picture she paints of Eleanor is much more realistic than the legend. Cockerill also discusses historiography on the area and assess how these other historians used the sources
July 7, 2020
Good coverage of the subject. Enjoyable.
November 22, 2021
Thorough academic work.
April 6, 2023
When we think of the infamous queens of England, some names come to mind, but one rises to the top for the number of black myths and influence surrounding her name: Eleanor of Aquitaine. The orphaned Duchess of Aquitaine, who married the future King Louis VII of France, went on the Second Crusades with her husband, survived battles and kidnappings, and ended up divorcing her first husband because she couldn’t give a male son. So, she married the young Count of Anjou, who would become the first king of the Plantagenet dynasty, King Henry II, who had a large family and split her time between England and France. Eleanor would eventually side with her sons, rebel against Henry, and spend 15 years in prison. A fire-cracker of a queen, but how many of the stories surrounding the titular queen are true? In her latest biography, “Eleanor of Aquitaine: Queen of France and England, Mother of Empires,” Sara Cockerill dives deep into the archives to tell the true story of this much-maligned queen of England and France.
I want to thank Amberley Publishing for sending me a copy of this book. I have enjoyed reading books about Eleanor of Aquitaine, and when I heard about this biography, I was fascinated. A few of my history friends have read this book and enjoyed it, so I wanted to see what the hype was about regarding this particular title.
Cockerill begins by showing what myths are typically associated with Eleanor of Aquitaine and how these myths have developed over time. She explains that Eleanor was a much more subdued queen than we imagined her to be and that her dive into the primary sources will show her readers the true Eleanor of Aquitaine. Cockerill then moves into the history of the Duchy of Aquitaine and Eleanor’s family, shaping her into the ruler and mother she would become.
The bulk of this book explores Eleanor of Aquitaine’s married life, first to King Louis VII of France and then to King Henry II of England. As Queen of France, Eleanor had two daughters, went on the Second Crusades, was kidnapped by pirates, and saw numerous battles. Eleanor’s reputation was blackened during the Crusades with the alleged Affair at Antioch. Still, Cockerill takes the time to go through the origins of each myth and show what might have happened according to the primary sources available. With the demise of the marriage of Eleanor and Louis VII, we see how Eleanor met Henry II and how her time as Queen of England was different than her time as Queen of France. We see her relationships with her sons and daughters and how her marriage with Henry went sour.
Most of the primary sources Sara Cockerill explores are charters that Eleanor of Aquitaine worked on as Duchess of Aquitaine and as Queen of France and England. This means that it is more academic, and for casual history lovers, it can come across as a bit dry in some places. Overall, I found this a compelling retelling of Eleanor of Aquitaine’s story that gave me a lot to think about her and her time. Suppose you want a new biography that will present a fresh approach to the life and times of Eleanor of Aquitaine. In that case, I highly recommend you read “Eleanor of Aquitaine: Queen of France and England, Mother of Empires” by Sara Cockerill.
I want to thank Amberley Publishing for sending me a copy of this book. I have enjoyed reading books about Eleanor of Aquitaine, and when I heard about this biography, I was fascinated. A few of my history friends have read this book and enjoyed it, so I wanted to see what the hype was about regarding this particular title.
Cockerill begins by showing what myths are typically associated with Eleanor of Aquitaine and how these myths have developed over time. She explains that Eleanor was a much more subdued queen than we imagined her to be and that her dive into the primary sources will show her readers the true Eleanor of Aquitaine. Cockerill then moves into the history of the Duchy of Aquitaine and Eleanor’s family, shaping her into the ruler and mother she would become.
The bulk of this book explores Eleanor of Aquitaine’s married life, first to King Louis VII of France and then to King Henry II of England. As Queen of France, Eleanor had two daughters, went on the Second Crusades, was kidnapped by pirates, and saw numerous battles. Eleanor’s reputation was blackened during the Crusades with the alleged Affair at Antioch. Still, Cockerill takes the time to go through the origins of each myth and show what might have happened according to the primary sources available. With the demise of the marriage of Eleanor and Louis VII, we see how Eleanor met Henry II and how her time as Queen of England was different than her time as Queen of France. We see her relationships with her sons and daughters and how her marriage with Henry went sour.
Most of the primary sources Sara Cockerill explores are charters that Eleanor of Aquitaine worked on as Duchess of Aquitaine and as Queen of France and England. This means that it is more academic, and for casual history lovers, it can come across as a bit dry in some places. Overall, I found this a compelling retelling of Eleanor of Aquitaine’s story that gave me a lot to think about her and her time. Suppose you want a new biography that will present a fresh approach to the life and times of Eleanor of Aquitaine. In that case, I highly recommend you read “Eleanor of Aquitaine: Queen of France and England, Mother of Empires” by Sara Cockerill.
May 20, 2024
Sara Cockerill's subtitle of her biography on Eleanor of Aquitaine says it all: “Queen of France and England, Mother of Empires." Unlike her mother-in-law whose epithet was her identity as a daughter, wife and mother projects her power and impact came from her relationships, one must not underestimate the authority Eleanor had as Duchess in her own right of areas that totaled larger than France itself. Cockerill often downplays the influence of this formidable woman by stressing when she was not present at the authorizing of many charters, how she was manipulated by Henry II, how she vanished from the records for long stretches of time, and her absences from her offspring. While risking Cockerill’s scorn for being an advocate of Eleanor, this reviewer ventures forth the historical determination that in the age of her existence, the 12th century, she did witness charters, deployed men, advised sons, managed households which contained many children and dependents (many who were loyal to her which even Cockerill agrees proves she was physically near them) and survived house arrest for 10 years. Wow, to navigate that life (marriage to two kings, participation in a Crusade, orchestrating insurgences, suppressing agitations and creating scholarly environments) and shape the historical context with such political acumen and survive as an ambitious woman is astounding!
As an aside, the extensive coverage of Fontevraud was appreciated by this reviewer who spent an entire day there immersed in the legacy of Eleanor. Cockerill’s descriptions of the royal effigies were compelling and accurate.
Cockerill has provided a meticulously researched biography (maybe not for the casual reader) that displays as much as possible, with the fragmented sources available, the multifaceted, shrewd, political operator, cultural contributor and passionate advocate for her family's legacy which was Eleanor.
As an aside, the extensive coverage of Fontevraud was appreciated by this reviewer who spent an entire day there immersed in the legacy of Eleanor. Cockerill’s descriptions of the royal effigies were compelling and accurate.
Cockerill has provided a meticulously researched biography (maybe not for the casual reader) that displays as much as possible, with the fragmented sources available, the multifaceted, shrewd, political operator, cultural contributor and passionate advocate for her family's legacy which was Eleanor.
August 3, 2022
Eleanor of Aquitaine is often seen as one of the most powerful and influential women to have lived during the Middle Ages. Becoming the Duchess of Aquitaine at the young age of only 15 of such a vast and powerful land made her probably the most eligible bride of her time. She was first the Queen of France before annulling the marriage to her husband, King Louis VII to then marry King Henry II of England, becoming Queen of England. A hugely controversial figure, she led a Crusade into the Holy Land, invoked a revolt against her second husband to dispose of him from the throne and left a legacy that still holds strong to this day.
Cockerill, a lawyer by day, utilises her skills to an almost forensic scale as she picks apart the myths and legends that hold Eleanor to such a monumental standard.
The author is rigorous and calculated, focusing on casting a realistic portrait of the twice Queen. She looks at debunking the myths surrounding Eleanor to leave a very human depiction more grounded in personality.
An engaging, meticulously researched and less glorified account of a woman so surrounded by legend that sometimes we forget that she was just as real as you and I.
I would like to wholeheartedly thank @amberleypublishing (Philip especially!) for sending me a copy of this book to review.
Cockerill, a lawyer by day, utilises her skills to an almost forensic scale as she picks apart the myths and legends that hold Eleanor to such a monumental standard.
The author is rigorous and calculated, focusing on casting a realistic portrait of the twice Queen. She looks at debunking the myths surrounding Eleanor to leave a very human depiction more grounded in personality.
An engaging, meticulously researched and less glorified account of a woman so surrounded by legend that sometimes we forget that she was just as real as you and I.
I would like to wholeheartedly thank @amberleypublishing (Philip especially!) for sending me a copy of this book to review.
September 8, 2024
Sara Cockerill is a British High Court judge and applies forensic dissection of evidence in compiling her account of Eleanor of Aquitaine’s extraordinary life. This approach will probably be of limited interest to casual readers but will resonate with History students who are taught to question the reliability of primary sources. The book is not perfect because Sara Cockerill criticises the conclusions of other biographers of Eleanor of Aquitaine but then speculates about what might have happened in the absence of any eyewitness accounts. Evidently, Sara Cockerill’s insistence that conclusions must be supported by evidence doesn’t always apply to her own observations! Notwithstanding this quibble, the book has improved my understanding of the complexities surrounding how England and France were governed during the twelfth century.
August 1, 2025
Think of this more like a reference book. It gets technical, so took me some time, but I was so grateful for the family trees drawn out in the beginning. Sometimes I had to read back a little to make sure I understood something right. I love how Cockerill carefully weighs rumors about Eleanor and assesses them for evidence and context and what could have been. If this is your thing--this subject--this is the book to get.
November 4, 2025
This was a dnf for me. She made a huge deal about other authors not following the facts, and then she went on to make up her own. I won't go on and on as another review here has already summed the issues up perfectly. This was a huge disappointment.
January 7, 2022
What an amazing woman. To have risen to such heights, given birth to kings and to have left her voice behind her!.
August 11, 2023
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. Well researched and well written...but so scholarly... so. very. scholarly.
July 7, 2025
Het boek leest goed weg. Bij conflicterende bronnen legt de auteur dat en haar keuze uit. Een prima biografie van Eleonora.
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