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. In this beautifully written biography; Alison Weir paints a vibrant portrait of this truly exceptional woman; and provides new insights into her intimate world. 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.
#2456133 in Books W H C Frend 2003-03-15Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 5.50 x 10.38 x 8.50l; .58 #File Name: 0334029082222 pagesFrom Dogma to History How Our Understanding of the Early Church Developed
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. A gentle tourBy Horatio5Frend casts his eye back over his life and gives his view on some fo the most important figures who have contributed to the reconciliation of archaeological and historical study to areas traditionally viewed as particular to the work of theologians. Frend sees himself very much in the spirit of this tradition; although he modestly confers praise on its most distinguished exponents; often putting his own contributions to one side.Frend's semi-autobiographical moments are most interesting: we learn of his experience Germany where he operated for the British foreign office in the aftermath of the war: before it; he went to learn under the direct auspices of Hans Lietzmann himself. Frend contextualises his interest in the most important matters of ancient religious history as a young man against the backdrop of the contemporary desperation he lived through- which; as we know was not without its religious significance.Frend is a kind writer and a kind man; but he can produce a turn of phrase to excite and his accounts of his archaeological adventures in Algeria are most readable because of this.Anyone interested in learning of the personality and character and personal history of one of the great religious historians of the twentieth century should read this book. Even if Frend is not always right in his other books; his studies are always important and here we have a window into the passion for his subject which throughout his life propelled him to write his intricate studies.1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Not about Christian historyBy T. GorskiAs the previous reviewer notes; this book is about the people (six of them) whom the author feels contributed most to our understanding of the early Christian church. It is *not* about the early Christian church. So read this book if you want to find out how; for example; Hans Lietzmann belonged to the Wednesday Society local discussion group which included members of the anti-Nazi underground during WWII and of Lietzmann's concerns about what the Nazis (National Socialists) were doing to academia at that time. But this book is NOT ABOUT THE EARLY CHURCH as the cover blurb suggests. Which is perfectly OK but this fact limits the number of interested readers. I found it and bought it from where it was prominently displayed at a bookstore with other works that *were* about the early church and theology so I felt a bit misled even though I did plow through it and learn some interesting things; just not what I expected.
