What do you think?
Rate this book
Powerful Women of the Medieval World
Throughout history, women have played integral roles in family, society, religion, government, war—in short, in all aspects of human civilization. Their contributions have often shaped history and shifted the axis of power for later generations of women. And yet, unearthing their stories from the historical record has often been a challenge, with the ordinary difficulties of preserving information across the generations increased by centuries of historical bias and gender expectations.
In Powerful Women of the Medieval World, Professor Dorsey Armstrong will introduce you to 10 amazing women who played vital roles in the Middle Ages, whether they wielded power from an imperial throne like Empress Theodora, led armies like Joan of Arc, or altered the course of Christian theology like Hildegard of Bingen. All of these women were from different times and places, yet they share the honor of having impacted the world in crucial ways. Their impact on history and society also shines a light on the conditions of ordinary women, those who did not have the chance to build such phenomenal legacies, but who nevertheless played vital roles in the family, the community, and the world at large.
While many of these women achieved power thanks to singular opportunities and unusual crises, they also share an indefinable quality that propelled them to seize the unpredictable chances they were given. As you examine the stories of these remarkable women, you will get a unique opportunity to unearth invaluable context and see history from a new perspective, one that can provide a richer understanding of the past and how it has shaped the world we live in today.
In Powerful Women of the Medieval World, Professor Dorsey Armstrong will introduce you to 10 amazing women who played vital roles in the Middle Ages, whether they wielded power from an imperial throne like Empress Theodora, led armies like Joan of Arc, or altered the course of Christian theology like Hildegard of Bingen. All of these women were from different times and places, yet they share the honor of having impacted the world in crucial ways. Their impact on history and society also shines a light on the conditions of ordinary women, those who did not have the chance to build such phenomenal legacies, but who nevertheless played vital roles in the family, the community, and the world at large.
While many of these women achieved power thanks to singular opportunities and unusual crises, they also share an indefinable quality that propelled them to seize the unpredictable chances they were given. As you examine the stories of these remarkable women, you will get a unique opportunity to unearth invaluable context and see history from a new perspective, one that can provide a richer understanding of the past and how it has shaped the world we live in today.
5 pages, Audible Audio
Published March 16, 2021
25 people are currently reading
447 people want to read
About the author
Dorsey Armstrong
23 books264 followersDr. Dorsey Armstrong is Associate Professor of English and Medieval Literature at Purdue University, where she has taught since 2002. The holder of an A.B. in English and Creative Writing from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in Medieval Literature from Duke University, she also taught at Centenary College of Louisiana and at California State University, Long Beach. Her research interests include medieval women writers, late-medieval print culture, and the Arthurian legend, on which she has published extensively, including the 2009 book Sir Thomas Malory's Morte Darthur: A New Modern English Translation Based on the Winchester Manuscript and Gender and the Chivalric Community in Sir Thomas Malory's Morte d'Arthur, published in 2003. In January 2009, she became editor-in-chief of the academic journal Arthuriana, which publishes the most cutting-edge research on the legend of King Arthur, from its medieval origins to its enactments in the present moment. Her current research project-Mapping Malory's Morte-is an exploration of the role played by geography in Malory's version of the story of King Arthur.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
March 24, 2024
Dorsey Armstrong is such a fantastic lecturer/narrator. I think she would manage to make the text on a cereal box sound intriguing and exciting.
And the theme of powerful, influential women of the Medieval world, while interesting in itself, turns to gold in her hands.
I loved all her lectures about Eleanor of Aquitane, Hildegard von Bingen, Heloise, Jeanne d'Arc, etc, but the most exciting and surprising was the one about the powerful Mongolian women surrounding Ghengis Khan and the fact that this notorious conqueror seemed to trust his mother/wives/daughters much more than his sons (as it turned out, rightly so!). Turns out, the man was an early Feminist, among other things. Go figure. Things will never be the same again when I think about him. (And maybe I should read some more about him.)
Amazing series of lectures. Short, but very well structured, thought out and totally capturing the gist of events, which must be very hard when you have only 30 minutes for each topic.
You will not be overwhelmed with all the details or given a deep analysis, but obviously this is not the aim here. I guess some things seem to be presented in an oversimplified way to those who are well-versed in History, but I am not one of them.
So if you are looking for detailed, in-depth accounts about these women, you need to look elswhere. But if you want some entertainment as well as information, like me, this is just the ticket.
And the theme of powerful, influential women of the Medieval world, while interesting in itself, turns to gold in her hands.
I loved all her lectures about Eleanor of Aquitane, Hildegard von Bingen, Heloise, Jeanne d'Arc, etc, but the most exciting and surprising was the one about the powerful Mongolian women surrounding Ghengis Khan and the fact that this notorious conqueror seemed to trust his mother/wives/daughters much more than his sons (as it turned out, rightly so!). Turns out, the man was an early Feminist, among other things. Go figure. Things will never be the same again when I think about him. (And maybe I should read some more about him.)
Amazing series of lectures. Short, but very well structured, thought out and totally capturing the gist of events, which must be very hard when you have only 30 minutes for each topic.
You will not be overwhelmed with all the details or given a deep analysis, but obviously this is not the aim here. I guess some things seem to be presented in an oversimplified way to those who are well-versed in History, but I am not one of them.
So if you are looking for detailed, in-depth accounts about these women, you need to look elswhere. But if you want some entertainment as well as information, like me, this is just the ticket.
June 30, 2021
This is about European women and should be labeled as such.
There's a single chapter that deals with ALL of the remarkable women that existed in the Mongol Empire, of which many more existed there than in Europe as a whole during this period.
I'm okay with this being about European women it just needs to be labeled as such.
I would've given this 4 stars but removed one for inaccurate labeling and the attempt to shove all Mongolian women in a single chapter
There's a single chapter that deals with ALL of the remarkable women that existed in the Mongol Empire, of which many more existed there than in Europe as a whole during this period.
I'm okay with this being about European women it just needs to be labeled as such.
I would've given this 4 stars but removed one for inaccurate labeling and the attempt to shove all Mongolian women in a single chapter
April 20, 2022
This is an interesting quick listen if you like medieval history and have Audible Plus. As part of the Great Courses series, it includes ten lectures presented by Dorsey Armstrong, a professor at Purdue University.
I have read entire books about several of these women: Eleanor of Aquitane, Joan of Arc, Margaret of Anjou (The Wars of the Roses). Aethelflaed features prominently in The Last Kingdom series by Bernard Cornwell, so I knew quite a bit about her as well. I was somewhat acquainted with the Byzanthine empress Theodora and heard of Heloise as well.
However, some were completely new to me. The most fascinating story was that of the wives and daughters of Genghis Khan. He was raised by a single mother who was abandoned by the tribe, and instead of starving, managed to provide for all her children and instill an ethic of hard work and self-reliance on her son. She impressed him so much that when Genghis became the conqueror, he would leave his territories to be ruled by his wives, and later, when the empire expanded, he married his daughters off to local rulers, with the expectation of her to rule. He took his quarrelsome sons with him to fight. This actually might not have been so off the charts, as I have learned from The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity that having a different type of government in war time and at peace, or in summer and winter, was quite common in nomadic tribes, with the war/travel/hunting parts lead by men and peace/settlement/farming time lead by women. However, this was not the structure used by larger empires, and Genghis Khan’s heirs put an end to the women’s rule.
The other fascinating story was of Princess Olga of Kiev, who took revenge on the killers of her husband in a very cunning and rather gruesome way. She also has become a saint for converting herself and her country to the Christian faith.
Besides queens and warriors, Armstrong also covers scholars. The two I have not heard of were Hildegard von Bingen, who was an influential Christian scholar and the first one to go on a teaching tour; and Christine de Pizan, who was the first woman that made her living from fiction writing.
The stories are interesting, however I found the format very limiting. She devotes one 30 minute talk to each of these remarkable women (except one where she handles all the mongol queens together), and much of the talk goes to describing their historical background. This works pretty well for the less complicated scholarly types, but for anyone else is just too little. This is probably most apparent with Margaret of Anjou, where Armstrong tries to shove the entire War of the Roses into one chapter, leading to a rather hurried story overstuffed with info that barely scratched the surface. I have read the War of the Roses multiple times and it is impossible to keep it straight.
It would have been better to devote multiple chapters to the really complex stories and perhaps combine the scholars into one. I would also have liked some sort of overarching conclusion of women’s role in medieval history.
The material is well organized and presented in an engaging fashion. My only complaint is that Armstrong tends to speak some words too fast.
I have read entire books about several of these women: Eleanor of Aquitane, Joan of Arc, Margaret of Anjou (The Wars of the Roses). Aethelflaed features prominently in The Last Kingdom series by Bernard Cornwell, so I knew quite a bit about her as well. I was somewhat acquainted with the Byzanthine empress Theodora and heard of Heloise as well.
However, some were completely new to me. The most fascinating story was that of the wives and daughters of Genghis Khan. He was raised by a single mother who was abandoned by the tribe, and instead of starving, managed to provide for all her children and instill an ethic of hard work and self-reliance on her son. She impressed him so much that when Genghis became the conqueror, he would leave his territories to be ruled by his wives, and later, when the empire expanded, he married his daughters off to local rulers, with the expectation of her to rule. He took his quarrelsome sons with him to fight. This actually might not have been so off the charts, as I have learned from The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity that having a different type of government in war time and at peace, or in summer and winter, was quite common in nomadic tribes, with the war/travel/hunting parts lead by men and peace/settlement/farming time lead by women. However, this was not the structure used by larger empires, and Genghis Khan’s heirs put an end to the women’s rule.
The other fascinating story was of Princess Olga of Kiev, who took revenge on the killers of her husband in a very cunning and rather gruesome way. She also has become a saint for converting herself and her country to the Christian faith.
Besides queens and warriors, Armstrong also covers scholars. The two I have not heard of were Hildegard von Bingen, who was an influential Christian scholar and the first one to go on a teaching tour; and Christine de Pizan, who was the first woman that made her living from fiction writing.
The stories are interesting, however I found the format very limiting. She devotes one 30 minute talk to each of these remarkable women (except one where she handles all the mongol queens together), and much of the talk goes to describing their historical background. This works pretty well for the less complicated scholarly types, but for anyone else is just too little. This is probably most apparent with Margaret of Anjou, where Armstrong tries to shove the entire War of the Roses into one chapter, leading to a rather hurried story overstuffed with info that barely scratched the surface. I have read the War of the Roses multiple times and it is impossible to keep it straight.
It would have been better to devote multiple chapters to the really complex stories and perhaps combine the scholars into one. I would also have liked some sort of overarching conclusion of women’s role in medieval history.
The material is well organized and presented in an engaging fashion. My only complaint is that Armstrong tends to speak some words too fast.
August 30, 2021
Outstanding!
August 21, 2025
Inspiring, insightful, and deeply engaging.
Dr. Dorsey Armstrong’s Powerful Women of the Medieval World is a fascinating exploration of how women across different backgrounds, classes, and regions were able to push beyond the limits of their time to shape history. What stood out most to me was how each chapter revealed a different form of power—whether political, intellectual, or spiritual—and how these women carved their place in a world designed to silence them.
The chapters on Theodora, Olga of Kyiv, Heloise, and Joan of Arc were especially compelling. Each story demonstrates resilience in the face of obstacles: Theodora using her position to enact reforms, Olga commanding respect as both a ruler and strategist, Heloise asserting intellectual independence in an era that denied it to women, and Joan of Arc defying her peasant origins to influence the direction of kingdoms. Armstrong ties each of these figures back to the broader world they inhabited, showing how their courage reshaped not only their own lives but also those of countless others.
What I appreciated most is how the book emphasizes that power doesn’t always look the same. Sometimes it’s a throne or an army, sometimes it’s a voice, a pen, or sheer conviction. The writing is accessible without losing its depth, making it a great read for both students of history and anyone simply curious about the remarkable women who challenged expectations.
Five stars for thoughtful storytelling, historical depth, and shining a light on women whose influence still resonates today.
Dr. Dorsey Armstrong’s Powerful Women of the Medieval World is a fascinating exploration of how women across different backgrounds, classes, and regions were able to push beyond the limits of their time to shape history. What stood out most to me was how each chapter revealed a different form of power—whether political, intellectual, or spiritual—and how these women carved their place in a world designed to silence them.
The chapters on Theodora, Olga of Kyiv, Heloise, and Joan of Arc were especially compelling. Each story demonstrates resilience in the face of obstacles: Theodora using her position to enact reforms, Olga commanding respect as both a ruler and strategist, Heloise asserting intellectual independence in an era that denied it to women, and Joan of Arc defying her peasant origins to influence the direction of kingdoms. Armstrong ties each of these figures back to the broader world they inhabited, showing how their courage reshaped not only their own lives but also those of countless others.
What I appreciated most is how the book emphasizes that power doesn’t always look the same. Sometimes it’s a throne or an army, sometimes it’s a voice, a pen, or sheer conviction. The writing is accessible without losing its depth, making it a great read for both students of history and anyone simply curious about the remarkable women who challenged expectations.
Five stars for thoughtful storytelling, historical depth, and shining a light on women whose influence still resonates today.
June 22, 2021
My wife and I listened to this one together, and it’s safe to say that we both loved it. Dorsey Armstrong tells the best and the most entertaining history stories by always giving the listener a piece of herself as she is telling the stories and demystifies history while thematically tying together stray threads into a coherent whole.
There’s a theme that the lecturer weaves within this story and allows one to see the absurdity of those who trivialize women as a part of our real history. I just recently read Baruch Spinoza’s unfinished book Tractatus Politicus and he notes that there is no real reason to give women equal representation within society since ‘by experience we know they have contributed very little and therefore they are not worthy of consideration in the political realm’. That is just an absurd statement and unfortunately that’s how people often think today.
Dorsey Armstrong has highlighted what happens when a capable woman is placed into an extraordinary situation and is able to rise to the occasion, and makes the occasion right for them. Our experiences that define who we are is not always of our own making, and sometimes we are thrown into a world that is not of our own making and for those bigots who define a person’s potential by the world they were thrown into while using shaded tinted glasses to conclude that they are better than the less privileged. Systemic racism and their racist enablers, homophobes, and misogynist still roam the hallways of every institution and they smugly think that they are worthy of more success and rewards because after all they falsely believe that the world is equal for everyone since it was equal for them while forgetting how their privilege status foisted undeserved graces their way and are certain within their bigotry that Make America Great Again has nothing to do with privilege.
Dorsey Armstrong shows how extraordinary women have always been with us and just hints at how much better our world would have been if we had only given women equal opportunities in the past and allowed them to gather opportunities equal to men.
There’s a theme that the lecturer weaves within this story and allows one to see the absurdity of those who trivialize women as a part of our real history. I just recently read Baruch Spinoza’s unfinished book Tractatus Politicus and he notes that there is no real reason to give women equal representation within society since ‘by experience we know they have contributed very little and therefore they are not worthy of consideration in the political realm’. That is just an absurd statement and unfortunately that’s how people often think today.
Dorsey Armstrong has highlighted what happens when a capable woman is placed into an extraordinary situation and is able to rise to the occasion, and makes the occasion right for them. Our experiences that define who we are is not always of our own making, and sometimes we are thrown into a world that is not of our own making and for those bigots who define a person’s potential by the world they were thrown into while using shaded tinted glasses to conclude that they are better than the less privileged. Systemic racism and their racist enablers, homophobes, and misogynist still roam the hallways of every institution and they smugly think that they are worthy of more success and rewards because after all they falsely believe that the world is equal for everyone since it was equal for them while forgetting how their privilege status foisted undeserved graces their way and are certain within their bigotry that Make America Great Again has nothing to do with privilege.
Dorsey Armstrong shows how extraordinary women have always been with us and just hints at how much better our world would have been if we had only given women equal opportunities in the past and allowed them to gather opportunities equal to men.
May 12, 2021
From the Byzantine Empress Theodora to Margaret of Anjou, Dorsey Armstrong introduces a number of fascinating medieval women, each powerful and influential in her own way. The most interesting section for me was the one on the Mongol queens, as I was already more or less familiar with the other featured ladies - though that doesn't mean I was bored at any time with this both informative and entertaining lecture series.
May 18, 2022
An excellent course. Dorsey Armstrong is easy to understand and a joy to listen to. She makes medieval history exciting to listen to.
April 8, 2021
Four stars for the series and an extra star for the amazing women themselves.
Damn, that Princess Olga though!
Damn, that Princess Olga though!
May 23, 2022
Dorsey Armstrong would make any subject enjoyable! I love her lectures, even when I know the subject, and anyone who wants to learn will find her knowledgeable and engaging. These are not in depth lectures, but overviews of the characters involved.
February 14, 2025
This was amazing I learned so much!
June 16, 2022
I love history and hearing about such progressive women!
April 8, 2021
This audiobook is a series of interesting and informative lectures concerning the lives of 10 women during the middle ages from 500 A.D. to 1500 A.D. I enjoyed learning about these passionate, smart, wise, spirited women who made the world a different and better place through their actions. They were not all in formal positions of power, but they changed their world in powerful ways that we still feel today. what unites each of these women is a desire to do something bigger than themselves, something important, something brave. Their actions were not always peaceful or traditionally feminine. They often put the needs of others up to the level of being equal with their own, and they rarely acted alone. What an incredible tribute to some really cool ladies!
October 30, 2021
Very fascinating and well done. This is a primer, not a deep dive. This is a book intended to get you to want to go read more about the women she discusses—not to leave you feeling like you know it all.
I thought it was entertaining and informative. This isn’t a heavy non fiction text going over every detail—it’s just a very well done interesting primer.
Definitely recommend. And I could listen to it for free with my audible membership. Made doing some very boring tasks much more enjoyable.
She’s a great lecturer.
Note as another reviewer said: yes this was about European woman of the medieval ages. Almost entirely. So add on some other books on top and know that going in.
If you’re expecting a deep dive or one that truly explores all cultures, this one is not for you.
I thought it was entertaining and informative. This isn’t a heavy non fiction text going over every detail—it’s just a very well done interesting primer.
Definitely recommend. And I could listen to it for free with my audible membership. Made doing some very boring tasks much more enjoyable.
She’s a great lecturer.
Note as another reviewer said: yes this was about European woman of the medieval ages. Almost entirely. So add on some other books on top and know that going in.
If you’re expecting a deep dive or one that truly explores all cultures, this one is not for you.
November 10, 2021
I've recently read "Who Stole Feminism? How Women Have Betrayed Women" by Christina Hoff Sommers which was a great book, so I am on the look out for feminist propaganda and advocacy scholarship. This audio course managed to remain objective regarding its subject... that is, pointing out powerful women of the medieval world that we might not have thought about before. I liked the presentation. The professor had a good strong cheerful voice. She was obviously excited about the subject.
I might listen to this audio course again.
I might listen to this audio course again.
November 29, 2022
A really good collection of lectures. It should be noted, as often is the case when somebody covers a topic of the middle ages, that it is mostly focused on Europe. There is a notable exception of the chapter devoted to multiple powerful women of the Mongol empire.
Many of the women in the lectures I had not heard about before which made the subject more interesting to me. Their stories are intriguing and to be frank often rather amazing. Listening to the courses I also got infected by Armstrong's enthusiasm for the subject.
Many of the women in the lectures I had not heard about before which made the subject more interesting to me. Their stories are intriguing and to be frank often rather amazing. Listening to the courses I also got infected by Armstrong's enthusiasm for the subject.
May 24, 2021
Women I had heard of before: Empress Theodora, Hildegard of Bingen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Christine de Pizan, Joan of Arc
Women I had never heard of until now: Aethelfled, Olga of Kiev, Heloise, the Mongol Queens, Margaret of Anjou
Overall, this Audible original lecture series was really informative and even entertaining. Some of these women made GOT’s Cersei Lannister seem chill (cough cough Saint Olga lol). I liked how Armstrong provided a lot of background, assuming that the audience doesn’t know much medieval history (particularly the Mongolian history) by heart.
Women I had never heard of until now: Aethelfled, Olga of Kiev, Heloise, the Mongol Queens, Margaret of Anjou
Overall, this Audible original lecture series was really informative and even entertaining. Some of these women made GOT’s Cersei Lannister seem chill (cough cough Saint Olga lol). I liked how Armstrong provided a lot of background, assuming that the audience doesn’t know much medieval history (particularly the Mongolian history) by heart.
February 12, 2022
Fantastic!
The author/narrator is a delight to listen to.
The stories of these women are intriguing and inspiring.
And everyone - EVERYONE - needs to know about Princess Olga of Kiev 😮
(Also, Genghis Khan was not the brute we think he was 🤷🏻♀️.)
Definitely worth your time.
The author/narrator is a delight to listen to.
The stories of these women are intriguing and inspiring.
And everyone - EVERYONE - needs to know about Princess Olga of Kiev 😮
(Also, Genghis Khan was not the brute we think he was 🤷🏻♀️.)
Definitely worth your time.
June 29, 2022
I do appreciate a good book that empowers women but the stories were still told pretty much through their relationships with men. Less focus was put on their real influence and accomplishments and more on who their husbands, lovers and sons were.
October 7, 2025
a few chapters were structured a little strangely, hopping back and forth in time and between definitions. but otherwise really engaging! and i learnt a lot! ok mongol queens!!
this has reignited my desire to learn history ty
this has reignited my desire to learn history ty
August 26, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyed this. Best listen from the Great Courses series on Audible yet.
June 3, 2022
This was absolutely riveting and encouraging, during our own dark times that have me questioning how we got here and why. Women have always been subjugated and yet somehow always find a way.
Read
April 20, 2023As always, Dorsey Armstrong is fantastic.
September 8, 2021
Absolutely fascinating stories. I want to know more about all the women featured in this course.
December 18, 2025
Interesting first part but got more and more feminist as it went. Also - and maybe I’ve not done enough research, but she paints Genghis Khan in a very favorable light - worldview problem or correct info idk but seems to discount or downplay the evil he did.
June 19, 2021
So fascinating and a fun group of lectures to learn about these women! Lecture 3 was my favorite but I enjoyed learning about them all and Dorsey Armstrong made it enjoyable.
August 6, 2025
this is the second lecture series by dorsey armstrong i have listened to and i really enjoyed it - i loved learning about history through a feminist lenses especially considering that men usually control historical narratives.
April 24, 2022
With the deft strokes of a gifted lecturer, Dorsey introduces 10 (really more than 10) powerful women of the medieval era. And powerful in different ways. Some ruled territories, some found their voice in writing or in faith. All were interesting and presented with their strengths and flaws. Dorsey knows how to knit the facts of history into compelling narratives with enough backdrop to understand the period and locations involved. Recommended for anyone wanting to fill in gaps in their medieval history with some fascinating people.
April 16, 2025
Some very interesting stories here especially about the Mongol queens.
July 16, 2023
Good, interesting and well read (audio version) but a little basic. As an introductory course, good. And a couple of women I either hadn't heard of (Olga of Rus) or didn't know much about, and I now know more!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews