A01=Lindy Grant
Angevin Empire
Author_Lindy Grant
Capetian France
Category=DNB
Category=DNBH
Category=JBSF1
Category=NHDJ
Category=NHTB
eq_bestseller
eq_biography-true-stories
eq_history
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
eq_society-politics
Family
Henry II
King John
Medieval women
Power
Resources
Richard the Lionheart
Sexual scandals
Product details
- ISBN 9781836390862
- Weight: 454g
- Dimensions: 138 x 216mm
- Publication Date: 18 Aug 2025
- Publisher: Reaktion Books
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Hardback
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Eleanor of Aquitaine (1124–1204), the legendary queen of France and later England, has captivated historians for centuries. Heiress to the duchy of Aquitaine, wife to King Henry II and mother to Richard the Lionheart and King John, her life was marked by power, influence and myth. This concise, accessible history sheds new light on Eleanor, cutting through the hearsay and slander with a close reading of primary sources. It highlights the family bonds that shaped her power and identity, tracing her roots to the Loire rather than the Occitan south. Lindy Grant demonstrates that Eleanor’s story is one of resilience: like Churchill, she saved England during a national crisis, though her political judgement could be equally erratic.
Lindy Grant is Professor Emeritus of Medieval History at the University of Reading and an Honorary Research Fellow at the Courtauld Institute of Art. Her books include Blanche of Castile, Queen of France (2016).
