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Summary: A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver
Review: "...Louis was too thickheaded to use this valuable tool, this queen, this restless beauty, this Eleanor." So begins the wonderful saga of the spirited Eleanor of Aquitaine, her husbands, sons and daughters. From her marriage with Louis of France to that of King Henry II of England, Eleanor shows through wit and compassion, abruptness and anger, readers learn the unforgettable story of this heroine, and exactly why she has earned her place in history. Told from the view points of Abbot Suger of St. Denis, the Matilda Empress, and King Henry's most faithful knight, William the Marshall, A Proud Taste for Charlotte and Miniver is not a book to be forgotten
Rating:
Summary: A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver
Review: "...Louis was too thickheaded to use this valuable tool, this queen, this restless beauty, this Eleanor." So begins the wonderful saga of the spirited Eleanor of Aquitaine, her husbands, sons and daughters. From her marriage with Louis of France to that of King Henry II of England, Eleanor shows through wit and compassion, abruptness and anger, readers learn the unforgettable story of this heroine, and exactly why she has earned her place in history. Told from the view points of Abbot Suger of St. Denis, the Matilda Empress, and King Henry's most faithful knight, William the Marshall, A Proud Taste for Charlotte and Miniver is not a book to be forgotten
Rating: 
Summary: A masterpiece!
Review: A book to treasure, sparkled with imagination is how I would describe this enchanting masterpiece. Each word grabs you by total shock and lures you into the page! Few books come along and make you a part of their true beauty and dazzling suspense. Without E.L Konigsburg's truly glorious talent the world would be dry and dull. Miss Koningsburg creates a world she never experienced seem like her home. Well described passages and glowing characters are scattered among the pages. She gives her female characters a strong, saucy, power other authors would never give to woman! This is a collection of adventure, romance and true imagination.... a delightful book that will keep you entertained for hours!
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Summary: Fantastic book about a prominent figure
Review: A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver is a wonderful book about the life of Eleanor of Aquitaine. This book shows all stages of her life: her childhood in France, her first marriage to Louis VII, her second marriage to Henry II, every important stage of Eleanor's life. Eleanor and her fellow story-tellers Abbot Suger, Matilda-Empress, and William the Marshal are well-portrayed, as are the people who made an impact on Eleanor's life. Everything that happened to her is drawn in deftly to the story; you barely realise that you are actually waiting for Henry's judgement. This is a great introduction to an important figure in French and English history. If you're looking for a light read or a brief glance into the time period Eleanor lived in, this is the perfect book. It is great for the youngest children to the most interested historian. This is a definitely something to check out as soon as you can!
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Summary: Best Ever
Review: At the all girls' school I attended, this book was assigned to my very impressionable fourth grade class. We all delighted in it, even the less enthusiastic readers. Twenty years later, I have not forgotten the joy it gave me. It inspired an Eleanor of Aquitaine obsession that I only outgrew after writing ten college applications on why Eleanor was my favorite character in history! This is a terrific book for any child; it has the humour of a Harry Potter novel, or even "Eloise", but attains a grandeur those books (and their authors) could only dream of as it promises to inspire a love of History. It should be required reading for absolutely everyone.
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Summary: What an awesome book!
Review: E.L. Konigsburg's prose style is stylized, witty, and highly entertaining. She has created and developed a multitude of fascinating characters that sparkle with life and humor. Underlying the storyline is the thematic comparison between some people's love for life and " pround taste for scarlet and miniver" and other people's tastes for simplicity and their focus on gaining life after death. I read this book for school in the sixth grade and have since entertained my interest in Eleanor by reading several biographies and writing several papers about her life for school. "Scarlet and Miniver" is suprisingly accurate in both the facts it presents and the development of the characters. oooooh I love this book!!!!
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Summary: I like everything but the title
Review: Eleanor of Aquitaine is in heaven, waiting patiently (???) for her second husband, Henry the Second of England, to come up. She and some others bide the time by telling their stories, with quite different interpretations of the same exciting, volatile events. Brings the lovely, stubborn, shrewd Eleanor of Aquitaine to life, and gives a human side to good ol' Thomas Becket. I like the characterizations of the Abbott and of Henry, and the sensible form heaven takes. I don't think a pragmatic woman like Eleanor would still be so passionately attached to a jackass like Henry after he imprisoned her for much of her life--(although she did outlive him so had her revenge, and I can see that Ms. Konigsburg has a right to an educated guess that she would be). I enjoyed the book very much, but one star gets deducted for the silly, obscure title. What the heck is scarlet? What the heck is miniver? What the redundancy does a taste for same have to do, except peripherally, with what was going on in this book? How about "Waiting for Henry" or "Tales of Afterlife's Anteroom"? A more evocative title would fit better and would call more attention to a great read. PS I, personally, know what the words mean in the title but feel they were not adequately explained in the book, targeted as it is for a juvenile audience. It's just too far flung. A title should evoke, explain, or both. This phrase is a very pretty bit of poetry but does not do the job it's supposed to. This is a wonderful story! I am sorry to say I have seen potential readers put it down because they were put off by the heavy-handed title. This is the reason for my objection: the awkward title deters would-be readers from a great book!
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Summary: Konigsburg makes history interesting.
Review: Eleanor of Aquitane has been waiting in Heaven eight centuries for her second husband, Henry, to come up from his time in Hell. Now that there are enough lawyers in Heaven, Henry finally has a chance to come Up. Eleanor awaits the final judgment with Abott Suger, Henry's mother Matilda-Empress, and William the knight. Pretty soon, their conversation turns to telling about Eleanor's life. Each has a story to tell, including the former Queen of England herself. This book is not to be missed. E. L. Konigsburg presents the history of the queen in an irresistable, fun manner. It's a pity that there are so few reviews for it here.
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Summary: Not all that it is said to be
Review: I am a person that really hates to see bad reviews. Alot of you will most likely not listen to me. I truley did not like this book. I had an ornary taste whenver I read it. I am a seventh grader reading this book along with my classmates. So far I have not found one person whom enjoys this book. It it very slow paced.
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Summary: Incredibly memorable history in an entertaining format
Review: I decided to write a review of this book after mentioning it at a dinner party last week. I first read it in 3rd or 4th grade (about 25 years ago) and it began a life-long interest in characters and events in the past. Although I am, by profession, a biologist (with, therefore, a later education focusing on science, rather than history), I still remember many characters from the story, and enjoyed seeing Eleanor from different perspectives. I also still like the plot device of having it occur in heaven. Finally, what an excellent title. Evocative and unique enough to still be remembered 25 years later.
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