Essential English History
Discover essential English history through must-read books, from Alison Weir's biography of Eleanor of Aquitaine to Life in a Medieval Castle by Joseph Gies—perfect for history buffs and curated reading lists.
Book
Eleanor of Aquitaine
by Alison Weir
In this beautifully written biography, Alison Weir paints a vibrant portrait of a truly exceptional woman and provides new insights into her intimate world. Renowned in her time for being the most beautiful woman in Europe, the wife of two kings and mother of three, Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the great heroines of the Middle Ages. At a time when women were regarded as little more than chattel, Eleanor managed to defy convention as she exercised power in the political sphere and crucial influence over her husbands and sons. Eleanor of Aquitaine lived a long life of many contrasts, of splendor and desolation, power and peril, and in this stunning narrative, Weir captures the woman—and the queen—in all her glory. With astonishing historic detail, mesmerizing pageantry, and irresistible accounts of royal scandal and intrigue, she recreates not only a remarkable personality but a magnificent past era.
Book
Life in a Medieval Castle
by Joseph Gies
Learn about the facts behind the myths of what castle life in the Middle Ages was all about.