15 Eleanor of Aquitaine Books Historians Have on Their Shelf

Every serious medieval historian has Eleanor of Aquitaine books on their shelf. Below is an annotated bibliography of 15 books that I have read and/or own about the person who I consider to be history’s greatest queen.

Eleanor of Aquitaine had it all! She had land, she had power, she had beauty, she was intelligent and cunning beyond her age. She also lived at the intersection of royal medieval genealogies before the rise of the heraldic sciences, placing her firmly in the realm of antiquity.

All of the Eleanor of Aquitaine books cannot stack up against the actual magnificence of the queen mother of Europe herself; however, since we do not live in the 12th century and none of us have actually met her ourselves we will have to puzzle together a mosaic of her personage based on written material about one of history’s greatest monarchs.

Thankfully, there are quite a few Eleanor of Aquitaine books out there to satiate our thirst to learn about history’s greatest queen.

This is Your Royal Reading List!

Below are Eleanor of Aquitaine books that I have read and own. Each one is followed by a synopsis and general comments of how one might approach reading them as each of these have their own tendencies toward history and level of familiarity with the subject.

For example, while Ralph V. Turner and Bonnie Wheeler’s works are focused more for academic historians, Amy Kelly and Marion Meade’s books are written for a wider audience, with much more elaboration than actual history.

Alison Weir’s book seems to capture the best of both of those worlds, in my opinion.

LINKS to all of the books themselves (complete with either Amazon or AbeBooks external links) can be found in the REFERENCES section at the very end of this article.

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QUICK ELEANOR OF AQUITAINE FACTS

• Born: 1122
• Died: April 01, 1204
• Born in: either Poitiers or the castle of Belin, Bordeaux, France (Meade 1991: 18) (Google Maps links)
• Name meaning: “the other Aenor” (alia-Aenor) after her mother Aénor (ibid).
• Father: William X (1099-1137), Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, and Count of Poitou
• Mother: Aénor of Châtellerault (aka, Aénor de Rochefoucauld)
• Sister: Petronilla of Aquitaine (1125-1151) (married Raoul I, Count of Vermaindois)
• Brother: William Aigret (who died at the age of 4)
• Interred: Fontevraud Abbey, France. Fontevraud was a very special place to Eleanor of Aquitaine, her favourite place, her spiritual home. Located in the Loire Valley (Maine-et-Loire) almost between the cities of Angers and Tours along the A85. Abbey de Fontevraud pronunciation link (external link).
• Spouse: King Louis VII of France (m. 1137-1152)
• Spouse: King Henry II of England (m. 1152-1204)

1. Marion Meade “Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Biography”

I would suspect that out of all of the Eleanor of Aquitaine books, Marion Meade’s is the most popular.

One could make an argument that it’s either hers or Amy Kelly’s work (#5 listed below). In any case, Marion Meade’s “Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Biography” is certainly one of the most balanced of books on the subject of our most illustrious queen of the Middle Ages.

Marion Meade’s “Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Biography” is superbly, and enchantingly written. Her powers of narrative and bringing historical figures to life in this book are simply spellbinding.

What I especially love about this book is that all of the family of Queen Eleanor and King Henry II, as well as both of their predecessors, are covered throughout its 389 pages, she leaves no one out.

She captures the thoughts and politics behind the incredible mesh and amplified pressure of being a member of the royal family in 12th century France and England. “Not just a member, Eleanor was a force to be reckoned with, a charger, a changer, a artist at redrawing boundaries, a leader and no better metaphor can be used to describe her presence than the stage on which she moved” (Meade 1991: xii).

2. Alison Weir “Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Life”

Alison Weir is hands-down a superb writer!

She seems to effortlessly capture the times and personalities of the people of the age, as if she bore witness to the amazing life of Queen Eleanor herself and then is simply retelling the tale to us.

Her treatment of Eleanor of Aquitaine is my favourite book on this list, it is so vibrant and caring and historically accurate that one will never look upon the Plantagenet Era the same again. Alison Weir appears on this list 2 more times (#8 and #10) as no one has contributed more to the historical narrative of Eleanor of Aquitaine than her.

She describes Eleanor of Aquitaine as “no shrinking violet, but a tough, capable, and resourceful woman who traveled widely throughout the known world and was acquainted with most of the great figures of the age” (Weir 2008: 346).

If you are looking for your first Eleanor of Aquitaine book to start with, this is the one I would recommend.

3. Ralph V. Turner “Eleanor of Aquitaine”

Written with a more academic audience in mind, Ralph Turner is less concerned about narrative, and more concerned about his fellow historians in his book on Eleanor of Aquitaine.

Although there is nothing wrong with that per se, that slant becomes very obvious if you picked up this book for a nice, easy Sunday read by the pool.

That being said, this book is very careful and clear in its intent, which is to disposes any assumptions that modern readers may inadvertently place on the subject of a woman’s role in medieval society based on our own standards.

Turner writes in his introduction: “To understand Eleanor today, we must confront the sharply differing standards of her medieval contemporaries and of authors in subsequent centuries right up to today in depicting a powerful woman’s place in medieval society and government. Eleanor deserves to be seen on her own terms, not pressed into conformity with twenty-first-century preconceptions“ (Turner 2009: 9, emphasis added).

This book is a great choice for those looking for Eleanor of Aquitaine books with just the facts!

4. Bonnie Wheeler and John C. Parsons (eds.) “Eleanor of Aquitaine: Lord and Lady”

Bonnie Wheeler and John C. Parsons are the editors of this wonderful book in a series called The New Middle Ages. Bonnie Wheeler is the series editor.

With contributions from over 20 authors spanning 19 chapters, a prologue, and an epilogue, you really get the whole gamut of perspectives and topics with respect to Eleanor of Aquitaine.

Just think, all of these scholars came together and collaborated just to talk about history’s greatest queen! How cool is that!?!

This book even features our previous author, Ralph V. Turner, who contributed chapter 3.

This Eleanor of Aquitaine book is very special and unique in that you have over 20 experts, each giving their insight into specific aspects of Eleanor’s life that they have specialized in researching.

It’s all very academic and makes for an unparalleled read.

It’s like the difference between an internist and a specialist in the medical field, and in this case all the specialists are assembled in one place to answer any question you could possibly conceive – metaphorically speaking, of course.

This book is for the probing scholar and advanced Eleanor reader.

5. Amy Kelly “Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings”

Amy Kelly has truly written a masterpiece with her 427 page book that has probably been reprinted more than any other book on this list, including Marion Mead’s (#1).

Ironically, what has propelled Amy Kelly into the limelight has also served to undermine her reputation, according to a few of her detractors.

That is that she has sacrificed factual research for fanciful writing. Be clear, these aren’t things that I am saying, just what other Eleanor of Aquitaine books and authors have themselves said about “Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings.”

Wherever you stand or whether or not you care at all, this book is a fantastic and fun read.

Amy Kelly describes aspects of Queen Eleanor’s journey through life that other’s don’t seem to quite capture.

For instance, in one of my favourite lines she writes: “Henry already knew his island; but in the course of these early journeyings, Eleanor had her first sight of the realm for which she had forsworn the more settled domain of her overlord in Paris” (Kelly 1979: 95).

This book is for the flight of fancy reader.

6. Desmond Seward “Eleanor of Aquitaine”

I first remember seeing Desmond Seward’s book on the shelves at a Barnes & Noble. I was initially unimpressed by this book’s lack of girth at only 288 pages.

However, I quickly became intrigued by remembering the fact that Seward’s name was specifically mentioned by Alison Weir herself in her book “Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Life” (#2 on the list).

Alison Weir, one of my favourite authors, within her own analysis of the role of Queen Eleanor as the greatest queen of Europe, praises Desmond Seward for his use of the phrase “the queen mother” of Europe as entirely prescient and justified. Quite the kudos!

His book title “Eleanor of Aquitaine: The Mother Queen of the Middle Ages” confirms that position.

While not going into the depth of her life in the way that any of the previous authors on this list have, Seward does capture the essence of the spirit of such an important medieval luminary.

Seward is not writing just to write, he’s thrown his hat into the ring as an author.

He has done his historical homework on many a controversial topic which he delves into with clarity of mind and pen. For example, one of my favourite parts of his book is how he strips down the evil reputation of King John while at the same time building him up for his would-be positive attributes, balancing both analytical truth and conjecture.

This book is a middling read, especially in comparison to his other works like “The Demon’s Brood” which I found a bit unappealing.

7. Polly Brooks “Queen Eleanor: Independent Spirit of the Medieval World”

To be fair, I haven’t read this book; however, to be honest, it wouldn’t take that long.

At only 166 pages of text (183 total), it’s seems to be more of an introduction to Eleanor of Aquitaine for young readers.

I purchased this particular book in Texas at the Half Price Books Dallas main store along with a host of other medieval titles.

All I saw was Queen Eleanor in the title and knew I had to have it.

From perusing its pages, Polly Brooks seems to have done a nice job in framing Queen Eleanor within the topics she’s chosen. I also appreciate her use of images as topical guideposts which are appropriately strewn throughout the text. This is a refreshing tactic that authors of all ilk and sophistication should practice!

This is a great book for young readers and even those who are looking for their first book to read on the life of Eleanor of Aquitaine.

8. Alison Weir “Captive Queen”

Another facet in the jewel of Eleanor of Aquitaine books by Alison Weir.

While she already knocked it out of the park with her masterpiece “Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Life” (#2 on this list), “Captive Queen” is the historical fiction version.

This is another book I have not yet read. However, while I am not a complete fan of historical fictions, I am a complete fan of Alison Weir so I might have to give this a read one day!

This “book,” more appropriately called a novel, is written in the 1st person.

Unlike books ‘about’ a subject written in the 3rd person, Weir has accomplished what few other authors dare to even attempt: to put their own words into the mouths of the subjects they are both describing and portraying. This Eleanor of Aquitaine book is written in the 1st person. Heck, it even says “A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine” on the cover (see image above).

For literary comparison, Johannes Fried did this with the infamous King Charlemagne! Not an easy literary task, and a humungo book if you’re interested in a great read.

This book is perfect for the wanderlust reader who dreams of wistfully being transported back in time.

9. Sara Cockerill “Eleanor of Aquitaine: Queen of France and England, Mother of Empires”

This is a newer-released, 2020-published, book about Eleanor of Aquitaine.

While I have admittedly never previously read a book by this author, I was absolutely blown away while reading this magisterial hardcover beauty.

I picked this up from Amazon along with the next title on our list (#10 below), and at 448 pages this offering is truly among the stars and certainly worthy of a book about England’s greatest queen.

From digging into Cockerill’s preface, I could tell that this Eleanor of Aquitaine book would be a wild ride for any reader, not just me.

Her stance is compelling in that her approach to the subject of our Queen is to dispel all of the untruths about Eleanor that have been either romanticized or politicized about her presumed role as some sort of proto-feminist.

She admonishes quite succinctly: “This is a key point for which my readers should be prepared before they go any further into this book. What you think you know about Eleanor may not be true” (Cockerill 2020: 13).

How can you NOT want to keep reading after that?

In fact, after finishing her preface I knew that this book would be a breath of fresh air with regards to my understanding of Eleanor of Aquitaine, as someone who has read about 10 books on the subject. The book was a refreshing balance of history and historiography, where the questions raised did not dominate the skyline, so to speak.

This book is for the discerning mind and comparative Eleanor historian.

10. Alison Weir “Queens of the Crusades”

Another hot-off-the-shelves book on this list.

As a 2021 publication, it is actually a book I have been anticipating. “Queens of the Crusades” by Alison Weir is book 2 in a 4-part series on the medieval queens of England.

In part 1 entitled “Queens of the Conquest,” (F+H+F review) Alison Weir has basically written one of my all time favourite books. It really is perfect from tip to toe as it details all of the queens during England’s conquest period circa 1066-1154.

I have studiously consumed this 560 page book with absolute voracity! It’s as if I were knelt at the feet of the queen herself under the tutelage of her head troubadour, Mrs. Wier.

That being said, this book makes my list even though it is a book not entirely dedicated to Queen Eleanor herself. Rather, our Eleanor is the subject of Part One of her book which includes the first 16 chapters. There are 5 parts total.

This book is perfect for the reader wanting to place Eleanor of Aquitaine into the broader political history of her age, with a more robust treatment of her contemporaries. Read my full BOOK REVIEW below.

“Queens of the Crusades” by Alison Weir BOOK REVIEW

11. Jean Markale “Eleanor of Aquitaine: Queen of the Troubadours”

This is another gem I found while at a Half Price Books in Texas.

Jean Markale’s book, on the surface, seems to be a somewhat fanciful treatment of the mystical and, dare I say, salacious aspects of Queen Eleanor that have been suggested throughout the ages.

“Queen of the Troubadours” attempts to inexorably connect the life of Eleanor of Aquitaine to the art of courtly love of early France. Markale does this in an interesting way however, using a myriad of sources from ancient Celtic rites to the chansons de geste themselves as textual analysis. It’s quite interesting as a matter of fact.

This book is both at the same time daring and conservative.

By that I mean that while there are a few seemingly outlandish statements in this book (let’s just call them ‘bold’), the author at least attempts to explain them by connecting them to non-traditional sources (let’s just call them ‘overlooked’).

For instance, on the subject of Eleanor of Aquitaine’s supposed bad reputation, Jean Markale writes: “For this, Celtic legends and the quasi-adoration of Ovid, with all the pagan context emanating from his work, constituted a formidable weapon and forced a breach in a fundamentally gynephobic Christianity” (Markale 2007: 120).

Now that’s a statement!

This is the perfect book for the already-initiated Eleanor fan looking for alternative perspectives.

12. Hourly History “Eleanor of Aquitaine”

The last book on this list is hardly a book at all.

Ironically, I wouldn’t imagine any serious historian having it on their shelf, except to complete a collection. Which is precisely why I own it.

This is a quickly-written pamphlet which is not even paginated! At 49 pages (I know, I had to actually count them all!) it is a glossing of Eleanor’s life and legacy which maybe only appropriate for a 5 minute quick study. Ironically, and quite perfidiously, it is subtitled “a life from beginning to end” … yeah, okay.

For a better introduction to Eleanor of Aquitaine, see #7 on this list. Also, if you are looking for your first read on history’s greatest queen, I would definitely recommend starting with Alison Weir’s 2008 “Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Life” (#2 on the list).

13. Regine Pernoud “Eleanor of Aquitaine”

I have not read this particular book but it is mentioned by Sara Cockerill in her book “Eleanor of Aquitaine: Queen of France and England, Mother of Empires” (#9 on the list). It seems to be one of the preeminent books on Eleanor of Aquitaine written from a noted and respected French historian. That excites me.

14. Michael Evans “Inventing Eleanor”

“Inventing Eleanor” attempts to separate the historical mythology from the historical accuracy of who Eleanor of Aquitaine actually was, not an easy task. The book seeks clarification on many fronts, not the least of which was her supposed scandals and feminist roles within the context of the times in which she lived.

15. Zoe Kaplan “Eleanor of Aquitaine (World Leaders Past and Present)”

This is a nifty, if dated, pictorial book about Eleanor of Aquitaine if you are looking for an introductory read. It is replete with images that are well-placed and highlight the text very eloquently. The book is a part of the World Leaders series and focuses mainly on queen Eleanor’s leadership style, role in a medieval family, and contributions to European history. The introduction was done by Arthur M. Schlesinger, famous American historian.

REFERENCES (With External Links)

• Meade, Marion. 1991. Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Biography. New York: Penguin Books. (Amazon link)
• Weir, Alison. 2008. Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Life. New York: Ballantine Books. (Amazon link)
• Turner, Ralph V. 2009. Eleanor of Aquitaine: Queen of France, Queen of England. New Haven: Yale University Press. (AbeBooks link)
• Wheeler, Bonnie and John C. Parsons. 2008. Eleanor of Aquitaine: Lord and Lady. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. (AbeBooks link)
• Kelly, Amy. 1991. Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. (Amazon link)
• Seward, Desmond. 2014. Eleanor of Aquitaine: The Queen Mother of the Middle Ages. London: Pegasus Books. (AbeBooks link)
• Brooks, Polly Schoyer. 1999. Eleanor of Aquitaine: Independent Spirit of the Middle Ages. New York: HMH Books for Young Readers. (AbeBooks link)
• Weir, Alison. 2011. Captive Queen: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine. New York: Ballantine Books. (Amazon link)
• Cockerill, Sara. 2020. Eleanor of Aquitaine: Queen of France and England, Mother of Empires. Gloucestershire: Amberley Publishing. (Amazon link)
• Weir, Alison. 2021. Queens of the Crusades: England’s Medieval Queens, Book Two. New York: Ballantine Books. (Amazon link)
• Markale, Jean. 2007. Eleanor of Aquitaine: Queen of the Troubadours. Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions.
• Hourly History. 2018. Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Life From Beginning to End. New York: CreateSpace. (AbeBooks link)
• Pernoud, Regine. 1968. Eleanor of Aquitaine. New York: Coward-McCann. (Amazon link)
• Evans, Michael R. 2016. Inventing Eleanor: The Medieval and Post-Medieval Image of Eleanor of Aquitaine. New York: Bloomsbury Academic. (Amazon link)
• Kaplan, Zoe. 1987. Eleanor of Aquitaine (World Leaders Past & Present). New York: Chelsea House Publishers. (AbeBooks link)

Also, check out my “Books About Books: A Few Couture Recommendations” post!

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