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Set against the backdrop of the turbulent thirteenth century, a time of chivalry and crusades, poetry and knights, comes the story of the four daughters of the count of Provence whose brilliant marriages made them the queens of France, England, Germany, and Sicily. From a cultured childhood in Provence, each sister was propelled into a world marked by shifting alliances, intrigue, and subterfuge. Marguerite, the eldest, whose resolution and spirit would be tested by the cold splendor of the Palais du Roi in Paris; Eleanor, whose soaring political aspirations would provoke her kingdom to civil war; Sanchia, the neglected wife of the richest man in England who bought himself the crown of Germany; and Beatrice, whose desire for sovereignty led her to risk her life to earn her place at the royal table. This book shatters the myth that women were helpless pawns in a society that celebrated physical prowess and masculine intellect.--From publisher description.… (mere)
Very engaging and readable history, without the history channel flash to make you doubt her scholarship. I feel more informed and pleased about it. ( )
Whew! I couldn't keep all the kings/queens/relatives straight. Medieval history in this book was confusing! Interesting that these women that powerful ad how young they all got married; 13! ( )
"Four Queens" was an excellent book. But, I sure am glad I just read Peter Ackroyd's "Foundation: The History of England from Its Earliest Beginnings to the Tudors" first and am somewhat familiar with European Medival history. I would have loved to have seen a map with the territories coming into their modern shapes because of these four women as the book progressed. Author Nancy Goldstone must have had done a lot of digging due to how long ago the events took place and because she was looking for information about women, even if they were queens. I feel lucky to have come upon this book. ( )
The flow of the narrative made this book very readable, and feel almost like reading a novel in places. While sometimes the book revolved more around the sisters' husbands than themselves, this can be attributed to the nature of the available historical sources. By taking the sisters as her subject, Goldstone is able to show the depth and intricacy of thirteenth century international relations. While many books fixate on one ruler or one country, this book highlights the often ignored connections that so strongly influenced decisions and policies affecting people's lives. Goldstone reconstructs a vivid picture of the power and influence thirteenth century women held in the governing of their and other nations. ( )
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Four daughters had Count Raymond Berenger, Each one of them a queen, thanks to Romeo, This man of lowly birth, this pilgrim-soul. —Dante Alighieri The Divine Comedy: Paradise Canto VI
Tilegnelse
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For Larry and Emily
Første ord
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Preface Paris. Christmas court, 1254—heralded by trumpeters and the ringing of bells, a great procession, the most illustrious of its day, made its way through the streets of the capital city. At its head were not one but two kings—Louis IX, king of France, and Henry III, king of England—accompanied by their respective queens, Marguerite and Eleanor.
Chapter I The Land of Song
With my breath I draw toward me the air that I feel coming from Provence; everything that comes from there rejoices me, so that when I hear good of it I listen smiling, and for every word demand a hundred: so much it pleases me when I hear good of it.
For no one knows so sweet a country as from the Rhône to Vence, enclosed between the sea and the Durance, and nowhere knows a joy so pure that it shines.
—Peire Vidal, troubadour, 1180-1206
Bordered to the west by the Rhône, to the northeast by the dramatic mountains of Savoy, and to the south by the blue-green waters of the Mediterranean, Provence, with its inviting vineyards, gentle climate, and profusion of sunlight and flowers, embodied the medieval ideal of an exquisite garden. It seems somehow fitting that the story of the four sisters who would become the most sought-after women of the thirteenth century should have as its backdrop so enchanting a setting. Salimbene de Adam, a Franciscan friar who lived in the archiepiscopal city of Aix-en-Provence, called it "a most salubrious place with an abundance of grain."
Citater
Sidste ord
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Marguerite's grandson, Philip the Fair, arranged and attended her funeral, which was conducted with the grandeur and solemnity befitting a queen of France. In England, Edward mourned the death of his favorite aunt and ordered bells rung to mark her passing.
Set against the backdrop of the turbulent thirteenth century, a time of chivalry and crusades, poetry and knights, comes the story of the four daughters of the count of Provence whose brilliant marriages made them the queens of France, England, Germany, and Sicily. From a cultured childhood in Provence, each sister was propelled into a world marked by shifting alliances, intrigue, and subterfuge. Marguerite, the eldest, whose resolution and spirit would be tested by the cold splendor of the Palais du Roi in Paris; Eleanor, whose soaring political aspirations would provoke her kingdom to civil war; Sanchia, the neglected wife of the richest man in England who bought himself the crown of Germany; and Beatrice, whose desire for sovereignty led her to risk her life to earn her place at the royal table. This book shatters the myth that women were helpless pawns in a society that celebrated physical prowess and masculine intellect.--From publisher description.
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***Biography Group Read, 3rd quarter: Four Queens by Nancy Gladstone, Book discussion - spoilers allowed!
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