Description

From the bestselling author of FEMINA, a brilliant reappraisal of the medieval women whose lives have been exploited for political, nation-building ends.

From Joan of Arc to Lady Godiva, Isabella of Castile to Catherine of Siena, famous medieval women have become national icons, their legends burnished and celebrated. But over the centuries their lives have been exploited, their stories twisted and weaponised. Searching for the real women behind the legends, bestselling historian Janina Ramirez reveals how history is often hijacked to serve the ideological and political agendas of the present.

Praise for LEGENDA:
‘Fearless, stunning and shockingly relevant’ Alice Roberts, author of Domination

‘A history like no other. Fabulous, invigorating and beguiling’ Kate Mosse, author of Labyrinth

‘Sensational! Janina Ramirez is writing women back into history one by one’ Lauren Laverne

‘A brilliant concept, conveyed with that dynamo mix: academic authority and storytelling pizzazz!’ Alice Loxton, author of Eighteen

Publisher Review

Janina Ramirez fearlessly deconstructs the dangerous historical myths and legends that have been shamelessly created to stoke division and hatred, finding complexity, truth and inspiration in this stunning – and shockingly relevant – new analysis of medieval history — Alice Roberts, author of ANCESTORS This is a history like no other, a top-down story of nationhood and mythology, a dazzling assessment of the past through the lens of the present and a rallying cry for the importance of history. Most of all, it’s a plea to consider the real flesh-and-blood women who made the world rather than their sanitised, mythologised counterparts. A fabulous, invigorating and beguiling read — Kate Mosse, author of LABYRINTH and WARRIOR QUEENS & QUIET REVOLUTIONARIES In Legenda, the legendary Janina Ramirez strikes again. I love the way she cuts through the myths with her fierce mind. Stirring stuff — Lucy Worsley, author of AGATHA CHRISTIE and JANE AUSTEN AT HOME Sensational! Janina Ramirez is writing women back into history one by one — Lauren Laverne Breathtaking and urgent. From dismantling assumptions about legendary women’s assigned roles as mothers of nations to re-instating them as powerful agents of change, Ramirez expands our understanding of womanhood. This book is a tour de force — Olivette Otele, author of AFRICAN EUROPEANS A brilliant concept, conveyed with that dynamo mix: academic authority and storytelling pizzaz! — Alice Loxton, author of EIGHTEEN Lively . . . important. Ramirez is urging us to become critical thinkers, able to spot those places where history has been rewritten to serve the ideological interests of whoever happens to have the largest megaphone — Kathryn Hughes * Daily Mail * Very readable . . . Ramirez tells each of these [women’s] stories with verve , and is a knowledgeable guide to the medieval world — Katherine Harvey * Sunday Times *