Female kings have always been a rarity, an oddity, or an undesirable outcome. In almost all places throughout the world 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.
From the lush oases of Ancient Egypt to the cherry blossomed lands of Japan, the machinations of the Tudor court to the far reaches of Pacific Island kingdoms, Women Who Ruled the World is an expansive and comprehensive history of female royal power.
Covering five millennia of global history, renowned historian Elizabeth Norton weaves together the stories of women rulers throughout the ages. Establishing beloved and already celebrated figures amongst those who have been left in the margins of history, Norton peels away the layers of time, geography and culture to reveal what it was to be a woman who ruled.
A gripping and beautifully crafted book that skilfully 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
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