As sister of Henry III and aunt of the future Edward I, Eleanor de Montfort was at the heart of the bloody conflict between the Crown and the English barons. A woman of fiery nature, Eleanor worked tirelessly in supporting her husband's cause. Drawing on chronicles, letters and public records, this book reconstructs Eleanor's remarkable life. ?this book is an important contribution to current scholarship. It clearly demonstrates that medieval aristocratic women were not the meek shadows of their husbands that they were once assumed to be. Eleanor was lively, impassioned, politically astute, and economically powerful. She was able to balance familial, political, and personal matters in a period of history when England was in upheaval. Eleanor's life and connections span both sides of the de Montfort rebellion, both chronologically and politically. This book will open the way for scholarly discussion of the life of this fascinating woman.