If you were asked to name one of the 100 most influential people of the second millennium, I doubt the name of Eleanor of Aquitaine would be the first one to spring to mind but according to Time magazine she was the most powerful woman of her century. Not only does she appear in one Time magazine top 100, however, she also appears in their top 50 of the richest ever list, too. Not bad for someone who died over 800 years ago. If, like me, your only image of Eleanor is that portrayed by an aging Katherine Hepburn in The Lion in Winter, then prepare to be amazed because Eleanor was quite a girl. A duchess and heiress in her own right, she became uniquely queen consort of ...  Read the complete review