If history books mention this queen at all, it’s often only to repeat the legend with a little truth that she was Queen of England, but never set foot on English soil. How did that happen? Or did it?
Read on to discover ten important facts about this remarkable woman, the legends and shadows of her history, and the known details of her life and brief reign as England’s “unseen” queen. Continue reading
Queen of France and England, but at different times, Eleanor of Acquitaine became a powerful figure in 12th Century Western Europe. Praised or censored, loved or hated, noble or slandered as common, the truth about Eleanor of Acquitaine lies somewhere in the middle of how her friends and enemies perceived her.
I just finished reading a fascinating biography about this Medieval Queen and made a short list of the top ten things I think we should all know about Queen Eleanor. (The book is an older publication, 1967, entitled Eleanor of Acquitaine by Regine Pernoud, if you interested in a more in-depth biographical study.) Continue reading
There were hundreds – maybe even thousands – of battles, skirmishes, and sieges during the Medieval Era. Some were world and history changing – others weren’t.
Today, I’ve picked five battles from the Middle Ages that I think everybody should know something about…and I’m promising not to get bogged down with all the tactics and strategies. This is just an overview of the highlights and you should explore further on your own.
(Maybe some of Jim Hodges audiobooks could help with that? I’ll make it easy and even tell you if there is a book which details the battle.)
Now, off to the battlefields with the knights to see how they altered history! And this is your final chance to decide if you think the Middle Ages were characterized by Chivalry or Medieval Madness… Continue reading
Gazette665 