Eleanor's Army

'The Revolt' by Clara Dupont-Monod (Quercus, 2020)

As long term readers know, I love historical fiction.  I'm also a sucker for a beautiful book, so when Quercus Books tweeted the gorgeous Chris Wormell cover for 'The Revolt' by Clara Dupont-Monod, I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy.

'The Revolt' is a story of medieval rule-breaker Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, told largely by her favourite son, Richard, the eventual King Richard the Lionheart.  A woman aware of her status and worth as Duchess of Aquitaine and heir of Poitiers, she expects to rule beside her husband, not be owned by him.  After her disappointing first marriage is annulled, she believes she's found a better match in Henry Plantagenet, later King Henry II of England.  Unfortunately, he has other ideas, and by the time their children are grown, he has taken control of her dominions, subjugating her people and ransacking the land.  Eleanor, her sons and ex-husband King Louis of France band together to revolt against the hated ruler, but can they defeat the warrior king?  And if they fail, what punishment will be devised for this bold and beautiful queen?

Queen of Broken Hearts

Bet you can't guess what this post is going to be about!

Earlier this month, I finally finished 'Marie Antoinette: The Journey' by esteemed historical biographer Antonia Fraser.

'Marie Antoinette: The Journey' is a hefty tome which examines the life of the last queen of France

'Marie Antoinette: The Journey'
by Antonia Fraser
(Phoenix, 2002)

and seeks the truth behind the many myths that surround her.  Daughter of the matriarchal Queen-Empress Maria Teresa, Marie Antoinette was born to be a pawn the game of European dynastic power.  Unfortunately, she was ill-suited to political machinations and unprepared for the cruel popularist media that thrived in the lead up to the French Revolution.  Innocent of much she was accused of and made a scapegoat by power-hungry politicians, this is the tragic story of a woman whose life became so unbearable, the guillotine's blade came as a relief.

I began reading this about seven years ago after finishing a book about Marie Antoinette's second son Louis-Charles ('The Lost King of France' by Deborah Cadbury).  It too was a heart wrenching story, but, as is often the case with history, reading about one person led to another.  Since studying A Level French I'd always wanted to know more about this period, partly because I couldn't believe the language assistant's claim that the whole French royal family had simply been wiped out.

'Marie Antoinette: The Journey' is excellent in that it is focussed, well researched and refrains from huge leaps of supposition, but this does mean it lies more at the textbook than popular history end of the spectrum.  In itself, this isn't a bad thing, it just means that it's not an easy ready.

Although, given the subject matter, it was never going to be an easy read.  I suspect that one of the reasons why it's taken me so long to finish this book is that I knew where it was going to end.  Marie Antoinette was no angel, but she was still a human being and no-one deserved the vilification that she received at the hands of the media and her captors.  Throughout this book, she comes across as the wrong person cast in the wrong role and you can't help wondering what would've happened if she and Louis XVI had been born in a different class at a different time and in a different place.  Thinking back over representations of the Queen I've encountered on TV and in films, it makes my stomach turn to realise that more than 200 years later old prejudices still rule.

So, overall, this book is not for the faint hearted, in terms of content or style.  It is interesting and informative, however, so I would recommend it for anyone who wants an insight into this almost legendary monarch.  Just be prepared to work at it.

Now, what next...