Legenda: The Real Women Behind the Myths That Shaped Europe, from the Sunday Times bestselling author of FEMINA
About this audiobook
Brought to you by Penguin.
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
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About the author
Professor Janina Ramirez is a Sunday Times bestselling author, Oxford lecturer, BBC broadcaster and researcher. She is Director of Studies for History of Art at Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford, and Visiting Professor in Medieval Studies at the University of Lincoln. She has published widely on medieval history, art and literature, has written both fiction and non-fiction for adults and younger readers. Janina has written and presented documentaries across the world for over 15 years. She is Lifelong President of Gloucester History Festival, and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, Royal Society of Arts, Universities of York and Gloucestershire and City Lit. Her book Femina was an instant Sunday Times bestseller.
