Eleanor of Aquitaine

by Earle Rice Jr.

Acclaimed as the most beautiful woman of her time, Eleanor of Aquitaine (c.1122 1204) uniquely shaped 12th-century Europe. As the wife of two kings and the mother of three others, her beauty, grace, style, and intellect captivated a continent. At a time when men regarded women as little more than personal property to be owned and exploited, Eleanor threw off the shackles of male dominance and scribed an indelible mark on the history of France and England. As France s queen, Eleanor accompanied Louis VII on the Second Crusade to the Holy Land and championed a burgeoning feminist movement. After divorcing Louis, she married Henry II of England. Her marriage to Henry upset the balance of power in Europe and led to 300 years of warfare before its restoration. Perhaps best remembered as a symbol of courtly love, Eleanor of Aquitaine also continues to personify the proud image of emancipated womanhood.

48 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Earle Rice Jr. has written more than fifty books for young adults. Mr. Rice served honorably in the U.S. Marine Corps for nine years, including a tour of combat duty as a machine-gun squad leader during the Korean War. He is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, the League of World War I Aviation Historians, the United States Naval Institute, the Air Force Association, and the Disabled American Veterans.

Reviews

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book only has two things going for it: lots of pictures and lots of facts.

As a children's book, it is incredibly dry. Even as the serious child with a high tolerance for boredom that I was, I wouldn't have enjoyed it. I probably wouldn't have even finished it.

The facts are presented in a way that is tedious and boring; there is hardly any human aspect to the book. There is very little context for the culture at the time. Many of the facts are about Eleanor's male relatives.

There is little discussion of Eleanor's impact on medieval society-only one page out of 42 is dedicated to her role in establishing the culture of courtly love, while the author fills another entire page with detailed story about her father going on a pilgrimage, eating poisoned fish, and dying.

And then, of course, is the way that the women are discussed. They "produced" children. The author writes things like, "Aenor soon realized that her main role...was to [have] children. This she did without delay..." and "[Philippa] didn't have to look far to find a handsome duke who knew how to treat a lady." Gag.

[Sarah - All The Book Blog Names Are Taken · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another that relies heavily on Weir's book, which I have come to realize is not nearly as good as I thought - but that is a whole different story. Another good introduction for young readers, but their are some glaring errors for someone well-versed in the life of Eleanor of Aquitaine.