Janina Ramirez Legenda : The Real Women Behind the Myths That Shaped Europe

From the bestselling author of FEMINA, a brilliant reappraisal of the medieval women whose lives have been exploited over centuries for political, nationbuilding ends. In LEGENDA, bestselling historian Professor Janina Ramirez peels back the layers of time to reveal how the lives of women have been coopted by those intent on crafting national identities. Their names are well known, and summaries of their achievements have been recited in classrooms for decades, but medieval women like Joan of Arc, Lady Godiva and Isabella of Castile have been misrepresented, their stories twisted and weaponised. Meanwhile, groundbreaking 18th and 19thcentury women who blazed a trail through revolutionary Europe have been forgotten, their legacies too easily dismissed or ignored. Questioning established narratives and searching for the real women behind the legends, Ramirez interrogates what defines a nation and who gets to build it, shining a light on how history is so often hijacked to serve the ideological and political interests of the present. PRAISE FOR JANINA RAMIREZRamirez blasts a powerful spotlight into the socalled Dark Ages and reveals a vibrant world, awash with colour and character DAN SNOW, host of History HitSkillfully brings out from the shadows the lives of women who ruled, fought, traded, created, and inspired CAT JARMAN, author of River KingsLike the interlace stonework on an AngloSaxon cross, Janina Ramirezs themes are interwoven with a conssumate skill TOM HOLLAND,... | Janina Ramirez Legenda : The Real Women Behind the Myths That Shaped Europe