Join Amazon Prime and get unlimited Free One-Day Delivery. Already a member? Sign in.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
23 used & new from £3.05
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings (Harvard Paperbacks)
 
See larger image 
Share your own customer images
Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book.

Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings (Harvard Paperbacks) (Paperback)

by A Kelly (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
RRP: £17.95
Price: £17.05 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £0.90 (5%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Only 3 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

Want guaranteed delivery by Tuesday, July 21? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
14 new from £10.97 9 used from £3.05
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover 10 used & new from £2.36
Paperback 2 used & new from £22.95
Unknown Binding 3 used & new from £6.75

Frequently Bought Together

Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings (Harvard Paperbacks) + Eleanor of Aquitaine: By the Wrath of God, Queen of England + Isabella: She-wolf of France, Queen of England
Price For All Three: £31.03

Show availability and shipping details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Eleanor of Aquitaine: By the Wrath of God, Queen of England

Eleanor of Aquitaine: By the Wrath of God, Queen of England

by Alison Weir
3.9 out of 5 stars (38)  £6.99
Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Biography (Women In History)

Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Biography (Women In History)

by Marion Meade
4.0 out of 5 stars (5) 
Katherine Swynford: The Story of John of Gaunt and His Scandalous Duchess

Katherine Swynford: The Story of John of Gaunt and His Scandalous Duchess

by Alison Weir
4.0 out of 5 stars (22)  £5.34
Queen Eleanor: Independent Spirit of the Medieval World: A Biography of Eleanor of Aquitaine

Queen Eleanor: Independent Spirit of the Medieval World: A Biography of Eleanor of Aquitaine

by Polly Schoyer Brooks
£5.36
The Lion In Winter [DVD] [1968]

The Lion In Winter [DVD] [1968]

DVD ~ Peter O'Toole
4.8 out of 5 stars (6)  £4.98
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 448 pages
  • Publisher: Harvard University Press; New edition edition (8 Feb 1973)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0674242548
  • ISBN-13: 978-0674242548
  • Product Dimensions: 22.9 x 15 x 3 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 440,433 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #65 in  Books > History > Europe > France > French Heads of State

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Customers Viewing This Page May Be Interested in These Sponsored Links

  (What is this?)
Eleanor Of Aquitaine Books
   www.shop.com/books    Eleanor Of Aquitaine Books Here. Shop Smart & Save Big at SHOP.COM 
  
 

Product Description

Review
I recently read"Eleanor of Acquitane and the Four Kings" for the third time, and pray that I live long enough to read it at least twice more. A beautifully written work of impeccable scholarship, it re-creates Eleanor and her 12th-century background in meticulous, mezmerizing detail. -- Alan Helms "Boston Sunday Globe" (09/15/1996)

Synopsis
An account of Queen Eleanor which describes her dramatic life as a queen, her marriages, and her contributions to that period.

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
Check a corresponding box or enter your own tags in the field below
history - medieval
eleanor of aquitaine
medieval history
women writers
women
richard lionheart
louis ii
12th century

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings (Harvard Paperbacks)
42% buy the item featured on this page:
Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings (Harvard Paperbacks) 4.7 out of 5 stars (3)
£17.05
Eleanor of Aquitaine: By the Wrath of God, Queen of England
37% buy
Eleanor of Aquitaine: By the Wrath of God, Queen of England 3.9 out of 5 stars (38)
£6.99
Queen Eleanor: Independent Spirit of the Medieval World: A Biography of Eleanor of Aquitaine
21% buy
Queen Eleanor: Independent Spirit of the Medieval World: A Biography of Eleanor of Aquitaine
£5.36
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

3 Reviews
5 star:
 (2)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent historical biography and guide to the era., 20 Jun 1998
By A Customer
While somewhat dated in language and style, this is an extremely well researched and engaging biography of one of History's most interesting and influential women. As a definitely "historical" biography it covers in scholarly detail the multiple political and religious characters involved with Eleanor and, by association, the causes they espoused. This is not, then, a work for romance readers seeking the mythic chivalry and trappings found in popular works (though the richly detailed descriptions of the age and its nuances present just as compelling a story). This is rather a book for those interested in a comprehensive, historical biography of easily the most fascinating of all Medieval women, and a perceptive glimpse into the forces which surronded her world.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Scholary, but informative - a book more recent biography on Eleanor of Aquitqine simply could not get around - the ground work , 6 Feb 2009
By Klaus van Amelrode "kmcva" - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
Eleanor (1122-1204), Duchess of Aquitaine in her own rights, Queen Consort of France and England, is stuff for legends. Her life was by any means extraordinary. A ruling duchess and Queen Consort of France should have given her already a dutiful place in history books. She went on a crusade, she divorced her husband and married his biggest rival, the King of England, Duke of Normany and Count of Anjou. She became the mother of three Kings and two Queens: Henry, the young King who never ruled, legendary King Richard the Liionheart and King John Lackland. She was imprisoned by her husband afetr she revolted with her sons, but as Dowager Queen became the real force behind the throne.


Amy Kelly, a Harvard academic and Associate Professor at Wellesley College, published this book shortly before her retirement in 1950th. It was her major work and one feels the passion she put into her work.

As there are many books around Eleanor, from historial novels to serious works I suppose the evaluation of this book depends very much what you are looking for.

Amy Kelly's book is one of the books all the other authors read. It is the base for all those book and studies and already this is remarkable. It is indeed interesting to see what the primary sources actually say about this Queen. Without any doubt it is an important work. Kelly is frank about issues in Eleanor's life that are disputed. It is however a more scholarly approach. This book doesn not seem to be meant for more casual, but for serious mediveal history readers. So it is not that a smooth read, but it not too pedantic for its more casual followers. The language I feel is a bit dated. I still enjoyed reading it as it gave me a deeper understanding of this extraordinary woman and queen. But honestly, I could not get really excited.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Amy Kelly, pioneer of modern Eleanor research, 3 Sep 2008
This review is from: Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings (Hardcover)
"Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings" has been an important source book for perhaps the majority of authors who have written about this extraordinary woman during the past six decades. (Of equal value is the biography by Regine Pernoud, Alienor D'Aquitaine--who praises Kelly's book.) This biography was probably the most important component of Amy Ruth Kelly's academic work. She was a Harvard scholar, close to retirement when her magnum opus went to press circa 1950.

A careful reading shows that much of Ms. Kelly's text is original in the sense that she was diligent in exploring manuscripts and early histories, borrowing relatively little from her contemporary historians. She pioneered modern Eleanor scholarship.

The author was the product of a more genteel age, a fact which her style betrays. It is curiously antique in places, but easy to read and to follow. For example, she introduces the word "Paraclete" without explanation: she herself needed no introduction to the school of Peter Abelard. Her book includes a number of dated curiosities: for example she refers to the Turkish port from which Eleanor sailed to Antioch as Satalia, rather than the modern day Antalya.

Several modern scholars think Ms. Kelly got the Court of Ladies wrong. I disagree. I believe that she got it partly right. In fact the true nature of Eleanor's Court of Ladies at Poitiers is still the subject of debate. Personally, I believe that the late Claude Marks, the author of "Pilgrims, Heretics and Lovers: A Medieval Journey" came close to reasonable truth on this topic.

"Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings" is informative. It can still compete with more recent, "pure" biographies such as Regine Pernoud's. It may be a better biography but a more difficult read than Allison Weir's "Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Life," and Marion Meade's "Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Biography." Modern historians have added many facts to the life and times of Eleanor of Aquitaine since Ms. Kelly published her title a lifetime ago. But she left us a record that feels true to life, entertaining and wise.

Robert Fripp, Author of ...
"Power of a Woman: Memoirs of a Turbulent Life: Eleanor of Aquitaine"
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Feedback

Fun for Everyone

Christmas Gifts
Achieve over 15,000 RPM with our great range of Powerballs.

›Shop the Powerball store

  

Beauty without the Beast

Olay Regenerist Daily 3 Point Treatment Cream
From au naturel to party glam, we have all the best names in cosmetics and skincare.

›Discover Beauty at Amazon.co.uk

  

Boys Smell

Lynx Africa Body Spray and After Shave Gift set
But we make sure they smell good...

›Discover male grooming at Amazon.co.uk

  

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates

  
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates