HNS Reviews - November 2011
APRIL QUEEN: ELEANOR OF AQUITAINE
by Douglas Boyd (9780752459127)
Douglas Boyd's 2004 biography of the always fascinating Eleanor of Aquitaine, now reprinted in a new edition for 2011, weaves the sparse information surrounding this formidable woman into a convincing and very satisfying work of narrative nonfiction. Rather than indulging in the temptation to spend pages discrediting other biographers or presenting radical theories for shock value, Boyd instead approaches the work from the beginning at a fresh angle, examining primary sources from his perspective as a linguist, using the subtleties of old Occitan and the langues d'oïl to reveal the cultural history behind assumptions and stereotypes. Occasionally he gets a little enthusiastic in claiming to know Eleanor's inner thoughts, but that's hard not to do when attempting to understand such a beloved historical figure, one about whom so much is unknown and so much else tainted by slanderous bias. Densely packed with information yet amiable and easy to read, this is a work of dedication and passion which fans of other Eleanor biographies will want to add to their collection.
THE YOUNG VICTORIA
by Alison Plowden (9780750946995)
This reprint of the 1981 classic is sure to please readers old and new. A short book written in a casual narrative style, this is an entertaining as well as informative record of Queen Victoria's life from her birth to her marriage. Beginning with the crisis that led to her conception, it chronicles her rise from the rubble of a crumbling royal family, growing up constrained by an overbearing mother and increasingly burdened by the knowledge that the expectations of an empire rest on her success. Once free of the drama and dysfunction that hindered her, the young queen blossoms to meet those expectations – devoted, charming, exuberant to take on the challenges that face her. It's a far cry from the dour black-clad matron of later years; as the writer illustrates so often with good humor, this Victoria was definitely amused. For anyone who enjoyed the recent movie of the same name and is curious to get a better picture of the history behind it, THE YOUNG VICTORIA is a great place to start.
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