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

In LEGENDA, bestselling historian Professor Janina Ramirez peels back the layers of time to reveal how the lives of women have been co-opted 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, ground-breaking 18th- and 19th-century 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.

'Very readable...Ramirez tells each of those [women's] stories with verve, and is a knowledgeable guide to the medieval world.' Sunday Times

'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 pizzaz!' Alice Loxton, author of EIGHTEEN


© Janina Ramirez 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025