Women Who Ruled the World: 5000 Years of Female Monarchy

Elizabeth Norton

Female kings have always been a rarity, an oddity, or an undesirable outcome. In almost all places on the globe a male ruler was preferred to a woman, with female inheritance vanishingly rare and frequently disputed. In spite of this, women have secured crowns – or fought for them – over several millennia. This scintillating book tell the story of the female kings: women who risked everything, sometimes unwillingly, to find a place in a man’s world.

Women Who Ruled the World covers an exhilarating expanse of time and space: from the lush oases of Ancient Egypt to the cherry blossomed islands of Japan, from the 19th century Queens of Madagascar who defied French attempts to colonise them to Tamar the Great, who presided over a golden age in Georgia. From the familiar – Boudicca, Cleopatra, Catherine to Great – to the unfamiliar – Urracca of Castile and Leon, Kushite queen Shanakdakhete, Lili’uokalani of Hawaii. This ground-breaking book casts a global eye over five millennia of queenship, a truly remarkable feat of historical skill and breadth of knowledge.

“A gripping and beautifully crafted book that skillfully interweaves the stories of female rulers who on the face of it have little but their sex in common. As well as introducing the reader to lesser-known characters from history, it brings a fresh perspective on famous figures such as Cleopatra and Elizabeth I. There is a striking contemporary resonance throughout, making even the long distant past seem within touching distance. An astonishing achievement.”
Tracy Borman
“This book is a tour de force, an engaging and indeed breath-taking history of female sovereignty. For a history book based on impressive academic research, it's a compelling page-turner packed with fascinating detail and shrewd analysis - a must for anyone interested in queens and queenship. The international perspective works brilliantly, as do the comparisons between female rulers who were worlds apart. Thought-provoking and elegantly written, this book places Elizabeth Norton deservedly among our finest female historians. Highly recommended! ”
Alison Weir

Other books by Elizabeth Norton