LIVING THE HISTORY: January 2012

Sunday, January 22, 2012

ELEANOR OF AQUITAINE - The Research books so far

I said last time that I would blog about some of the research books I've been using to write the first of my 3 novels about Eleanor of Aquitaine. Some I have found more useful than others. Finding a decent biography of Eleanor has been difficult as many of Eleanor's biographers tend to wander off into fiction and speculation at the drop of a hat. I have also used articles from various journals and extensive internet research via JSTOR etc, but these are some of the works consulted on my shelves. I've put recommended against the best in my opinion

Not in any order but with comments as appropriate

Standard work but outdated now and some wrong details.

Interesting to see a French take on Louis VII. Suffers from
not having an index.

Excellent series of essay and insights into Eleanor's world Recommended

The best biography for Eleanor's early life - balanced on all sides.
and doesn't make any nasty mistakes. Recommended

Readable, but a little on the romanticised fiction side.

Several historical errors and opinions stated as fact
Read with a massive pinch of salt, but useful as an overview

Another excellent series of essays about Eleanor -
highly recommended

Beautifully, romantically written, but the research is now outdated
in many cases. Check against newer discoveries.

A romantic overview. Read with a large pinch of salt
but a decent general book on the subject. Some errors.

A good overall biography let down by a few glaring mistakes
Recommended with caveats. e.g. Geoffrey le Bel did not go on
the second crusade and die by drowning!

This one's out there and I put it up for your consideratio
but I haven't used it as such

Read for an overview - outdated

Interesting book, particularly covering the building of St Denis

Very useful for gaining an idea of what was what when
Eleanor arrived here.

Extremely useful maps for plotting the course of the 2nd
crusade. Recommended. May be out of print.

Useful again for incidents on the second crusade
Recommended

This and the below - general useful guidebooks on Eleanor's country.

This is John of Salisbury's Memoirs of the Papal Court
Recommended primary source for the Antioch incident
and information about Eleanor's sister Petronella

Excellent biography of Abbot Suger of St Dennis
Recommended

Might seem a bit weird to have Stephen's biography
here, but his deeds fit into the jigsaw of Capetian
politics. Excellent work. Recommended

Odo of Deuil's The Journey of Louis VII to the East
Primary source document of the 2nd crusade. Invaluable
Recommended - specialist buy.

Fabulous book on the architecture of Eleanor's homeland -
gives you a real feel for the place. Recommended - but it's in French

Pretty pictures. Of limited use for the campaigns of the 2nd
crusade. Better books out there, but it's okay to augment the others.

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING

" Wow! I feel like someone used to watching movies in black and white but has just seen the first one in technicolor! " A personal letter from a reader.

"The Winter Crown ...will, I have no doubt, become the definitive fictional account of this remarkable woman.' ..." I’ve read a fair few fictional depictions of Henry II over the years and I must say that his portrait in The Winter Crown has the most authentic feel of them all."
Kate Atherton, author of For Winters Night blog.

"Eeanor’s life story has been told many times over in historical novels but rarely with such insight, emotional intensity and page-turning readability." Pam Norfolk, Lancashire Evening Post.

"In the world of the arts, the Black Legend and the Golden Myth still hold sway, as seen in novels, such as Alison Weir's, which seek to portray both the scandalous, adulterous queen of legend and the powerful female ruler. Historians may shake their heads at the perpetuation of such myths, but many historical novelists such as Sharon Kay Penman and Elizabeth Chadwick are seeking to apply modern scholarship to their fiction, and consequently avoid the most egregious of the legends that surround Eleanor."

Professor Michael R. Evans in Inventing Eleanor - Bloomsbury Academic.

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE SUMMER QUEEN

"What I loved about this novel, and I have felt this way about all of Elizabeth’s novels that I have read, is that she does not pander to stereotypes or write scandal for the sake of it. The historical Eleanor is defamed beyond belief- a whore chasing anything in trousers, a woman who committed incest with her uncle, a woman who was ‘ahead of her time’, and so on. Elizabeth’s Alienor is none of these things. She is treated fairly, as a woman of her own time, written in a believable way. Elizabeth does not go for scandal because she does not need to- the writing in this novel makes that very clear. Her scene setting is lovely, her character development top notch, and the book is a compulsive page turner. I couldn’t put it down." Sarah Bell

."The Summer Queen is a fabulous novel based on the most up-to-date and meticulous research. This is historical fiction at its best and I loved every page of it." Kate Atherton, blogger.

"I have read just about everything I can about Eleanor and enjoyed both biographical and fictional accounts of her life but I must say that your creation of Eleanor is the most compelling." Reader from Australia

"I loved the story; I loved the way the author wrote Alienor as a woman of her times instead of a thoroughly modern independent woman, or a slut in chase of anything in pants. As with all Chadwick novels, there's also the added plus of being sucked into another century with the sights, smells and sounds that wrap up a darn-near perfect reading experience. I couldn't put it down, and very sorry I'm going to have to wait for the next installment. Reader from the USA

"Meticulous research and strong storytelling." Woman & Home
"A rich and compelling read. " Candis Magazine

"I often see the expressions, `fleshing out the history' and `making it real', and they more than apply here...the main aspect that made me keep turning the pages and burning the midnight oil? The things that I didn't know about Alienor.." Reader from Australia

"Chadwick has succeeded where many other novelists have failed by giving us not just the legend but the very human young woman – intelligent, determined, witty and sexy." Pam Norfolk. Lancashire Evening Post.