A very well-written biography of this extraordinary woman and her long, adventurous, difficult life. I first read it as a teen and the locations and many, many names made understanding it all very difficult. I remember, though, the first time I saw "The Lion in Winter" I dashed to this book to find what was historically accurate in that movie. (Hint: the movie is fantastic with great actors, and should be viewed as such!)

There is much detail about side events, such as the sinking of the White Ship of England that resulted in the drowning of William Atheling, heir to Henry I of England and husband to Matilda, future Abbess of the Convent of Fontrevault, and the attack on the baggage train and members of the Second Crusade. Also present in this book are snippets from Troubadours' songs at the start of each chapter that tie in Eleanor with this aspect of her court.

Mme. Pernoud's depiction of the main characters is for me more of a "fleshing out" of these historical personages than a romanticizing of their historical nature. Her biographical sources include the medieval Pipe Rolls to depict the events of the time rather than, as she states, literary sources that formed earlier biographical descriptions of Queen Eleanor. Kudos go to her for delving into these dusty tomes to bring this woman back to life! ( )

Leonor (1124/1204) dos veces reina, madre y abuela de reyes y reinas de toda Europa, es uno de los personajes más influyentes y poderosos de su historia. ( )

A great overview of the long and busy life of Eleanor, tying together all the bits of history I knew with a great deal I didn't. Rather uncritical of the Orientalism of the time, coy about Richard's homosexual relationships, and perhaps a little fond of phrases like "her role as a woman" (son rôle de femme) but by and large an insightful and thoughtful reading of the historical documents. Occasionally I got confused when she'd refer to "Henry" or "Louis" without specifying which she meant; this might have been less of a problem for those who can read French faster/more fluently than me. Appendices include genealogical charts and a useful bibliography with discussion.

Now feeling inspired to write a Robin Hood story resolved not by Richard's homecoming but by Aliénor's. ( )

Leonor de Aquitania es mi heroina desde que era cría y Regine Pernoud es una historiadora y medievalista francesa capaz de engancharte desde la primera página hasta el final. Todas sus bigrafías son amenas, interesantes y tienen un ritmo increíble. Para mi, la mejor biografía de Leonor. Con diferencia. ( )

1646 Eleanor of Aquitaine, by Regine Pernaud translated by Peter Wiles (read 20 July 1981) I read a book about Eleanor on 16 Nov 1963. This book is also about her, and I found I have forgotten quite a bit of the prior book, always dismaying. This book is very sympathetic to Eleanor, and I rather like her, although I cannot condone her getting rid of Louis VII, her first husband. Eleanor was born in 1120 or 1122 and died Mar 31 or Apr 1, 1204. She is buried at Fontevrault--I'd like to go there. ( )