Heyo, it's that time again!
Last week was the debut of First Line Friday being hosted by Hoarding Books and I think this will work out so much better. If you are unfamiliar with how things work now, Hoarding Books was created by the original four members of First Line Friday - we've now grown to nearly 30 regular, active posters. It makes sense to start using a link-up so we are all connected in one place instead of trying to remember to add each new person to each of our individual posts. If you are a Top Ten Tuesday-er then the format will be very familiar to you. If not, check our The Broke and the Bookish for another cool way to connect with other bloggers and find new books to enjoy.
This week my first line is from one of the texts I am using for my research and writing on Eleanor of Aquitaine.
"Nine hundred years ago the Christians of Europe waged a series of holy wars, or crusades, against the Muslim world, battling for dominion of a region sacred to both faiths - the Holy Land. This bloody struggle raged for two centuries, reshaping the history of Islam and the West."
You might be wondering how any of the crusades could possibly relate to Eleanor and why a book about such topics would be useful to my own book. Please allow me the very briefest of explanations:
Eleanor and her first husband Louis VII of France lead the Second Crusade to the Holy Land. It was a dismal failure and Eleanor nearly succeeded in gaining an annulment from Louis right there in Antioch, with her uncle Raymond's encouragement. He was the prince of Antioch and had left Aquitaine when Eleanor was very young. As the youngest son in the family, he had no prospects by remaining in Poitiers so he made his fortune elsewhere, first in England in the service of Henry I and later in Antioch. Unfortunately he was killed in battle after Louis had forced Eleanor to leave with his army to head for Jerusalem.
Then of course there is Richard the Lion Heart, Eleanor's most beloved son who headed up the Third Crusade while he was king of England. He was captured and imprisoned by former crusader allies whom he had managed to piss off, and they were working in conjunction with John to keep Richard from getting home. Eleanor naturally put a stop to that nonsense in typical mama bear fashion, collected the huge sums needed for Richard's ransom, and hand-delivered it to Duke Leopold of Austria in exchange for her son's freedom.
So, yeah, the crusades are kind of a major factor in Eleanor's life.
What are you reading this week? Leave a comment below with your own line, or thoughts on mine, or both! Then head over to Hoarding Books to see what other First Liners have this week.
Happy Reading!
Sarah
What a woman, to have travelled all the way to the Holy Land in those days! And am I correct in thinking she did it twice? Did she deliver Richard's bride to him in the Holy Land?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I’m featuring the SECOND line from Crystal Walton’s ‘Just Maybe’ on my blog this week (Carrie has the first line on Reading is my Superpower). But here, I’m going to share the first line from my current read: a speculative novel called ‘Day Moon’ by Brett Armstrong. Here’s the first line:
“The drizzle tapped on the coffin with an increasing intensity.”
Eleanor escorted Beregaria as far as Sicily, because Richard was already on his way to the Holy Land. Joan, one of Eleanor's daughters, met them there and records say Berengaria was left in Joan's custody. Their ship was stopped near Cyprus so Richard came and conquered the island. Berengaria did go on crusade with Richard, but she returned to his lands on the continent long before he did. She may have assisted Eleanor in collecting Richard's ransom, but I am not sure yet, still have so much to read.
DeleteHere is my first line from The Welcome Home Diner by Peggy Lampman
ReplyDeleteIf you’re the last person to leave Detroit, don’t forget to turn off the lights.
Have a great weekend!!
Thanks for sharing your line Susan, have a wonderful book-filled weekend!
DeleteThe first line on my blog this week is from Toni Shiloh's latest book 'Returning Home'. I'll share with you here a book that I just started reading last night.
ReplyDeleteJune 1811
A London lady never sallied forth unchaperoned. Least of all to a place with the reputation of Vauxhall Gardens. -- First Comes Marriage by Amanda Barratt
The Regency Brides Collection
I am so very glad that I have never had to be 'chaperoned' just because I am a woman. Happy Friday!
DeleteOoh that sounds like an interesting read!
ReplyDeleteI'm featuring Lu. by Beth Troy on my blog today, but here I shall share the book I'm currently reading.
"They rode in silence, the murmur of Alex's expensive late-model white SUV lulling Astrid into drowsiness."
-Colors of Christmas by Olivia Newport
I think it will be - though I find later crusades, though I can not exactly pinpoint why. I am that way with my interest in British history too, my interest only goes so far - pretty much nothing beyond 1603. Have a great weekend!
DeleteHappy Friday! I want to share the first line from the first chapter instead of from the prologue: (This is a REALLY fun book to read!)
ReplyDeleteA New Shade of Summer by Nicole Deese:
"I jiggled the locked doorknob again and wished, not for the first time, that it was legal to use tranquilizer darts on adolescent boys."
As a Behavior Skills teacher, I have NEVER wondered that... :) Happy Friday!
DeleteThat sounds like an interesting read. The book I'm featuring on my blog is Perfectly Matched by Maggie Brendan. However, the book I will share here is Fire and Ice by Mary Connealy. "The bullet spit dirt up in Gage Coulter's eyes, and he didn't even flinch."
ReplyDeleteIt is, especially when it is in direct relation to my girl Eleanor! I can't even imagine going on a pilgrimage or crusade now with modern technology, let alone in the 1100s! Have a great weekend :)
DeleteHappy Friday! Sounds like a very interesting read.
ReplyDeleteHappy Friday to you too Andi, thank you. I will go back and read it cover to cover once my research is done. It is a very thorough book so it will take a while.
DeleteI shared the first line of April McGowan's Hold the Light today.
ReplyDeleteHere's the first line of the book I just finished reading: The Austen Escape by Katherine Reay
"How can I help?"
Suzie, thank you for stopping by and sharing your line. Wouldn't the world be a much better place if that first line was something everyone was willing to ask?
DeleteWednesday,September 2, 1987
ReplyDeleteMike Dolan was snoring when the telephone rang. Fly Away by Lynn Austin
Happy Friday Caryl, thank you for sharing your line. Have a great weekend!
DeleteHappy Monday!!
ReplyDeleteWow, totally missed this one, sorry!! Happy Sunday :)
Delete