In an era which required women to remain in the background and acquiesce to the will of men, Eleanor of Aquitaine rose to become quite the powerful figure. Chivalry as we know it, portrayed in legendary stories of Kind Arthur and sung by troubadours was just starting to take shape; so few women of the time were placed on a romantic pedestal and few were allowed to hold any influence beyond the hosting of events within the court.
I just started reading, but in these first 40 pages, Alison Weir has fleshed out the world of 12th century France and Europe in great detail. My knowledge of Eleanor of Aquitaine until this time was built with snippets of stories and a movie by the name of
The Lion in Winter. Focusing on her life directly is sheding a lot of light and providing a deeper perspective of Europe in that era.