Warrior Queens
Registered by hon-no-tomo of Dublin, Co. Dublin Ireland on 12/6/2008
This Book is Currently in the Wild!
This Book is Currently in the Wild!
2 journalers for this copy...
In her dazzlingly erudite and wide-ranging book, Antonia Fraser examines an infinite variety of Warrior Queens, found in almost every culture.
On the one hand she recounts the stories of such diverse national heroines as Zenobia of Palmyra, Isabella of Spain, Elizabeth I, Queen Jinga of Angola, Catherine the Great and the Rani of Jhansi, right up to the twentieth-century democratically-elected Warrior Queens' - Indira Gandhi, Golda Meir and that formidable exponent of the role in our own day, Margaret Thatcher.
On the other hand she examines, in terms of their history, the themes which occur and re-occur in very different civilisations and circumstances: the Tomboy Syndrome, for example, by which the adult Warrior Queen is often granted a mythical tomboy' past, or the Shame Syndrome, by which the courage of the Warrior Queen is contrasted with the weakness of the males around her. Sexuality is also a constant theme, as the Warrior Queen is sometimes seen as preternaturally chaste, sometimes as unnaturally voracious - the same female leader on occasion being the subject of both accusations.
Weaving her wealth of scholarship with lightness - and with characteristic humour - Antonia Fraser has produced a remarkable and original work which casts a new light on the familiar heroines of history, and the whole subject of female leadership in times of war. Required reading for anyone going into politics, truck-driving or the Army: indeed by any woman going into anything.
An very interesting and thoroughly researched book. Should be a must-read for all men and women.
On the one hand she recounts the stories of such diverse national heroines as Zenobia of Palmyra, Isabella of Spain, Elizabeth I, Queen Jinga of Angola, Catherine the Great and the Rani of Jhansi, right up to the twentieth-century democratically-elected Warrior Queens' - Indira Gandhi, Golda Meir and that formidable exponent of the role in our own day, Margaret Thatcher.
On the other hand she examines, in terms of their history, the themes which occur and re-occur in very different civilisations and circumstances: the Tomboy Syndrome, for example, by which the adult Warrior Queen is often granted a mythical tomboy' past, or the Shame Syndrome, by which the courage of the Warrior Queen is contrasted with the weakness of the males around her. Sexuality is also a constant theme, as the Warrior Queen is sometimes seen as preternaturally chaste, sometimes as unnaturally voracious - the same female leader on occasion being the subject of both accusations.
Weaving her wealth of scholarship with lightness - and with characteristic humour - Antonia Fraser has produced a remarkable and original work which casts a new light on the familiar heroines of history, and the whole subject of female leadership in times of war. Required reading for anyone going into politics, truck-driving or the Army: indeed by any woman going into anything.
An very interesting and thoroughly researched book. Should be a must-read for all men and women.
I took this book for my father because I know he likes a lot reading history books. This book traveled to Spain with a friend and I took it back to Ireland when I went there on holidays, so it has traveled quite a lot of kilometers.
