The Warrior Queens: The Legends and the Lives of the Women Who Have Led Their Nations in War

by Antonia Fraser

In this panoramic work of history, Lady Antonia Fraser looks at women who led armies and empires: Cleopatra, Isabella of Spain, Jinga Mbandi, Margaret Thatcher, Zenobia, and Indira Gandhi, among others.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Feminism, Historical, Womens, Royalty

383 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Antonia Fraser is the author of many widely acclaimed historical works, including the biographies Mary, Queen of Scots (a 40th anniversary edition was published in May 2009), Cromwell: Our Chief of Men, King Charles II and The Gunpowder Plot (CWA Non-Fiction Gold Dagger; St Louis Literary Award). She has written five highly praised books which focus on women in history, The Weaker Vessel: Women's Lot in Seventeenth Century Britain (Wolfson Award for History, 1984), The Warrior Queens: Boadecia's Chariot, The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Marie Antoinette: The Journey (Franco-British Literary Prize 2001), which was made into a film by Sofia Coppola in 2006 and most recently Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King. She was awarded the Norton Medlicott Medal by the Historical Association in 2000. Antonia Fraser was made DBE in 2011 for her services to literature. Her most recent book is Must You Go?, celebrating her life with Harold Pinter, who died on Christmas Eve 2008. She lives in London.

Reviews

[CC · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished this book and exhaled loudly while screaming FINALLY! Finally it is over. I am stubborn and when I hit the halfway point, I refused to quit. But, good God, this book is dry. And long. My brain felt like a glazed donut when I read more than 30 pages in a sitting. Maybe I am just not bright enough to appreciate it.

But I'm giving it three stars for a few reasons: 1) I now know about Caterina Sforza taunting soldiers who were about to kill her children by lifting her skirt to show her pregnancy and saying, "You fools! Don't you know that I can make more?" Brilliant. My life is forever richer; 2) Queen Nzinga. Enough said; 3) A few choice anecdotes about the remaining queens that I couldn't help but read aloud to anyone within earshot. One star for each spark of joy.

Complaints: 1) Focuses way too briefly on non-European queens; drags and drags when it comes to European queens; 2) Dry. So dry. Engaging history is all about creating narrative out of facts and tidbits. Fraser is good at this 15% of the time, and awful the other 85%; 3) Though her analysis was sharp, naming the facets of historical queendom "syndromes" (e.g. Appendage Syndrome) makes them sound like diseases.

I still can't believe I am done reading this book. I thought it would never, ever end.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A singular exception [...] a woman is often acknowledged the absolute sovereign of a great kingdom, in which she would be deemed incapable of exercising the smallest employment, civil or military"

Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

My first Antonia Fraser history book - An experience filled with pleasant surprise regarding the level of research that went into it. My prior knowledge of Fraser was limited to her writing popular history books

Centered around Boudica Supposedly Boudicea is the spelling that the British are most used to - thanks to Queen Victoria - I have only seen Boudicca. A better familiarity with Tacitus than British History, I suppose. Though Fraser does spend time talking about how the different spellings arose, as well as what they meant for the development of The Warrior Queen., the historical figure who led the 60/61 rebellion against the Romans, and Boudicea, the legendary character, who represented moral qualities that were commendable, Antonia Fraser confronts the development of these two ideas, and how they arose in response to the political and social climate of the time.

From this, Fraser highlights the themes that occur throughout different civilisations - that of the 'Shame Syndrome', by which the courage of the woman is contrasted with the weakness of men around her, the attribution of masculine features to a woman i.e., the 'Tomboy Syndrome', and the chaste/promiscuous paradox.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

I stopped reading this book after 233 pages (about 2/3 finished) because life is too short to read bad books. This is only the second book in the last 8 years I have failed to finish without plans to try again.

The first few chapters are dry analysis of what it means to be a "Warrior Queen", and it doesn't pick up pace until 1/3 of the way into the book. Then it tries to tell the stories of these Warrior Queens with a chapter apiece, but the author insists on comparing everybody to Boadicea (both the legend and the historical figure). I had to stop when halfway into Jinga's chapter, there wasn't any information provided on this character. Most of the information presented was the use of Boadicea in literature throughout history. Why wasn't that included in Boadicea's chapter?

The author also gets bits of history wrong - Isabella's family tree as she explains the succession. You can't forget a daughter and assign her son to a different daughter! (This isn't The Tudors!)

I have read long history books (Postwar, Dreadnought, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, etc.) and have never come across book as tedious and repetitive nor with the same appalling lack of organization. It was absolutely frustrating to read about all the "syndromes" these women had while ignoring the rich detail or their lives. The lack of detail is understandable in the earliest stories where there is little written history and/or it is unreliable, but I expected the stories to include more detail as the book progressed and that simply didn't happen.

Don't completely give up on Fraser - her biography on Marie Antoinette is excellent, and she probably should adapted that format for this book - sort histories of Warrior Queens and their achievements. This book probably really deserves a 2, but since I couldn't bring myself to finish it I had to rate it a 1.

[Iset · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly in depth considering that this is a book that examines many subjects, Fraser examines both the history in facts and the way in which warrior queens have been presented as social entities. Very thoroughly researched and referenced - although it must be noted that some information is not up to date, which is not surprising given the release date of the latest edition.

[Charli · Rating 2 out of 5]

I barely got to the end of this book - which was surprising as I'm a great fan of Fraser's work ordinarily. However, I found the structure of this book somewhat convoluted and confusing, and it didn't really give the insight I was expecting on key female historical figures.

Fraser has based the book around the history of Iceni Queen Boadicea/Boudica - a fascinating story, however almost half of the book is about her - which is surprising as so little is known of the 1st century AD queen. This means that the prose tends to digress from the subject at hand and is therefore difficult to keep track of.

Also, when Fraser then writes of other historic 'warrior queens', she continually relates back to Boadicea - which provides some interesting viewpoints not ordinarily explored (especially for Elizabeth I, my personal favourite historical figure here). Saying this, some of the biography of these women is then lost in the telling as the prose again feels to drift without adding any value to the telling.

All in all, some very interesting viewpoints in this book, however personally speaking, not exactly what I was expecting. Definitely a good read for ancient history enthusiasts, rather than any era more current though.

[Yasmin · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was an okay book but I have to say the author's continous usage of "syndrome" did make one think that there was something wrong with the women! Also a little too much of "warrior" women in the European world and not so much with other countries. I guess in the 80s her research was limited but even so there must have been other women known then like Nurjahan during the Mughual period of India and I can't believe there was only one queen to cite in Africa! And I didn't have that much interest in reading about Margaret Thatcher, none at all in fact! Nor was I that compelled for Indira Ghandi, I think I'll leave my own personal politics out of this, as it is a book review and not a political debate.

[Carol Storm · Rating 2 out of 5]

WARRIOR QUEENS is okay, but Lady Antonia obviously likes the modern queens more than the ancient ones. She spends as much time on parades and pageantry in the 19th century, where "symbolic" warrior queens just bless the troops and appear in very becoming but only sort-of military poses, as she does on actual fighting women in the ancient world, like Boudica of England.

It's also noticeable that with Boudica Lady Antonia plays down the bloody war and butchery and plays up the Roman era that came later. She mentions several times that "other" Britannic warrior queens (names not mentioned) were more peacable, marrying Roman governors and building Roman-style villas with beautiful artwork and frescoes which still catch the eye today. Indeed, the image she gives of that time period is that most upper-class women willingly chose the comforts and luxuries of life as a Roman lady to the blood and grime of constant war. Warlike Boudica was probably the exception rather than the rule. In fact Lady Antonia quotes several Roman sources saying that the daughters of the fierce British tribes were quick to adapt Roman customs, bathing and finery -- so much so that they were often accused of being more Roman than their Roman husbands!

This book is okay overall, but instead of being a story of "warriors" it really describes women rulers who sometimes presented themselves in military roles.

[Sarah Finch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most intelligent and thoughtful books I have read in a long while. Using Boudica (Boadicea) as her starting point, Antonia Fraser traces a loose chronology of "warrior queens" from Zenobia to Queen Isabella to Golda Meir and Indira Gandhi. The final chapter or two on Margaret Thatcher is particularly insightful. Along the way she discusses how sexuality, maternity, and religion have shaped the conversations surrounding these women for generations, as well as the Appendage Syndrome wherein a female ruler can only validate her reign through her ties to a strong male. This is a great read, and one not at all outdated by the twenty-some years that have passed since its publication in 1988.

[Sarah Kimberley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have seen people refer to this book as dry and a slog, but reading this myself I thought the contrary. Antonia's writing is simply meticulous in its academic form. While this wasn't my favourite book surrounding women's history, Fraser's evaluations were well articulated and her thoughts nicely balanced. Her surmises are definitely backed up well.

Loose but detailed accounts of strong, unabashed women who really stood out amongst their male counterparts. Fiery qualities and remarkable reigns- some I am ashamed to admit I'd never heard of. Women unafraid to steer the ship. Valiant Rani of Jhansi, Warrior Boudicca, Celtic Queen Cartimandu and Ancient Zenobia to name a few. It is clear Fraser had a special fondness for Boudicca when sitting to write this historical piece, weaving her military influence and lasting legacy into the stories of other women in later centuries. There's nothing quite like a woman leading a rebellion against the Romans or burning down Roman settlements in true anarchist fashion.

[Carolina Casas · Rating 5 out of 5]

An account of all the warrior women who left their mark on history and why some were successful and others weren't. The warrior queens who earned their reputation as fearsome and holy were only because they evoked popular sentiment of unity and religion, and perpetuated the stereotype of the "weak and feeble woman" (Elizabeth) and feminine virtues of chastity, homeliness (Golda Meyer, Louise of Prussia, Queen Tamara of Georgia,etc) and religious fervor (Isabel before she was married and after she married, and a tool that she used against 'La Beltraneja' -her niece Juana whom she always held was not her brother's daughter). In using rebelling against the norm while perpetuating the stereotype of the weak and virtuous female these monarchs and rulers managed to keep their positions and become celebrated icons (to this day); while those who refused to play by the rules were slandered, publicly and physically humiliated and some of them were forced to take their lives (such as Boudicca, Cleopatra, etc) or die in battle (the Rani of Jhani). It's an engrossing account that doesn't end with a simple everything is okay now but makes the points that many of these attitudes on women have changed very little and women leaders today still have to use certain stereotypes to be accepted.

[Rebecca Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn't resist this one, what with all the gender & power issues swirling around Hillary Clinton's bid for President. Also must read anything given a thumbs-up by Margaret Atwood because she is an absolute literary goddess a mon avis... But in the end I felt that Fraser attempted to cover too much ground between the covers of this book. I would have appreciated reading about fewer subject but in greater depth. Also, as a non-Brit, I was not previously familiar with the story of Boadiccea and it was difficult to piece it all together from the author's non-linear storytelling. Nevertheless, it was an informative read, and it has profoundly influenced my perspective as an observer of (and a voter for!) women in positions of leadership.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The beginning was terribly slow for me, but once it picked up I couldn't put it down. I think I was thrown off in the beginning because she kept saying that this book was a study of Warrior Queens. The first 3 chapters read like a text book to me. Boring! But once the book started flowing, and each chapter was a different Warrior Queen, I really enjoyed it. It also gave me lots of women to try to find books on and maybe learn even more about these remarkable Warrior Queens.

I was also surprised that Margeret of Anjou wife of Henry VI was not in here. If she wasn't a Warrior Queen I don't know the meaning of the words.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book but not enough detail for me. I wanted more information on each woman, but at least it gives an overview of several women from history.

[Susan Abernethy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Link to my review of this book:

http://flhwnotesandreviews.com/2015/0...

[Abigail Hartman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up "The Warrior Queens" for two reasons. One, back in January I read another book about female rulers (Helen Castor's She-Wolves) and found it interesting but lacking in some respects, particularly in the writing. Two, I'd read Fraser's Faith and Treason and enjoyed it immensely, which made me willing to read Warrior Queens and see how her thoughts and approach might differ from Castor's.

I did find it both interesting and an easy read; after I'd added it to my Goodreads account I saw a number of reviews saying how boring it was, and I can't say I had the same reaction. On the contrary, I typically found myself wanting more information rather than less. This is a study of the attitudes of and toward women who have led their people in times of war, and while Boadicea is the central figure, each individual woman is treated in a relatively brief, self-contained overview; you can't and wouldn't go to this book for an in-depth examination of any one of the characters (and some of them are intriguing enough that I wanted a real, detailed biography of them). Possibly it's the archeology in the earlier chapters that strikes many readers as boring? At any rate, I found it generally engaging -- nor did I think that Fraser was more interested in telling the stories of modern/contemporary women than those of the ancient and medieval examples. Certainly one could argue that the many female leaders of the 20th century (most notably, Margaret Thatcher) inspired Fraser to consider writing such a book; but I thought she devoted an even amount of space to the women across the centuries.

That said, I can't say this one ranks up there with Faith and Treason. In any work like this one is liable to sense an agenda, and while I certainly find it useful to consider the special challenges women face in exercising power, I don't have a whole lot of patience for a "battle of the sexes" theme. It could certainly have been more annoying in this book than it was, but little things were nonetheless exasperating: things like putting "male" or "female" in parentheses to draw more attention to them, a habit that always seems to me to create an unnecessarily sarcastic tone. I also could not quite tell what the larger point was (or if there really was any) regarding the Warrior-Queen-as-harkening-back-to-some-primordial-goddess thing. Is Fraser actually suggesting some kind of matriarchal society in the distant past? She raises the possibility and almost dismisses it, but apparently quite wistfully; and then it continues to crop up.

The more strongly feminist threads, then, did not appeal to me, but the book does point out interesting historical themes that did strike me as worthwhile (even if they are called "syndromes," which, like another reviewer, I find rather annoying). Elements like the Warrior Queen's tendency to see herself as unique among her sex and unwilling to promote "women's rights," and the tendency for the Warrior Queen to come to power by virtue of some connection to a powerful man -- these I found compelling. The more psychological aspects less so.

[Zoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather esoteric and scholarly for those who might be more used to a more accessible and popular form of writing about historical figures as has become the prevalent style more recently. To be fair, the title should be more along the lines of "A history of Boudica and the legend of Boadicea (and some subsequent Warrior Queens and how they relate to her)". The title gives the impression of a series of profiles, probably with comparisons drawn, but to have the whole book revolve around one woman's actions and legend really should have been reflected in the title. The author spends more than half the book in educated speculation about the historical and legendary British queen and distinguishing between what is known historically (practically nothing) and fictional use of her story and legend over about 1900 years.

Following this first half are brief histories/biographies of women who fall under her category of Warrior Queen, such as Elizabeth I, Caterina Sforza, the Rani of Jhansi, and Margaret Thatcher. Thatcher was still in office at the writing, so besides her not being a queen in any sense, I think the author didn't have enough historical perspective to bring her into the analysis despite the advantage of relating a modern late 20th century example. Her other profiles were interesting but brief, and all analyzed in comparison to Boudica/Boadicea.

The scholarly language was a little thick to wade through at times, and the constant repetition of the primacy of the one queen got tiresome.
Given all of that, it is a good solid history that mostly manages to do its best to get the facts from primary sources and noting when those sources may themselves have been prejudiced. I learned about a few non-western queens I was unfamiliar with, and even some information and perspectives I hadn't considered on those more consistently written about (Elizabeth I, Catherine the Great, Isabella of Castile). But you better be interested in Boudica/Boadicea in some way or you'll never make it through the book!

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find it difficult to describe my feelings on this book. I feel like it made me think a lot, yet not in a coherent fashion. Stimulating, yet not in a way that I can exactly describe. There were good points in this book, yet it seems like they were repeated and it might have made a better article than full length book. I have enjoyed so many other books by this author, and was disappointed to find myself struggling through. I learned bits and pieces about historical women I have never heard of, but not really enough about any of them to remember. It was a strange cross between history and a sort of psychology. It felt disjointed, without a compelling narrative. Even the writing style was awkward and sometimes hard to digest.

A quote from the end: "it can be argued that women need heroines even more than need need heroes because their expectations of independence, fortitude, and valour have generally speaking been so much lower."

[Jaclynn (JackieReadsAlot) · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of my favorite topics, powerful women throughout history who led their countries or their people in battle. Probably the dullest of Antonia Fraser's novels that I have read, although the subject matter was of particular interest to me. I found the book dry, as well as somewhat fractured and poorly organized. It is also quite dated and reads as such, with frequent non sequitors and tangents as well.

Not her best work, but readable. I was introduced to women I had never heard of before, which sparked further research on my part. But not the most exceptional book I've come across by this author.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this. It examined how the tropes and misogynistic criticisms that were applied to women in power in the past, even the very distant past, are still applied to women in power today. I'd always wanted to know more about Boudica and Fraser used her as a model to compare the other Warrior Queens to, mostly to compare how they were perceived and described, and the situations in which they came to power. She also made sure to note how Boudica herself was perceived, or forgotten, during each of the Warrior Queen's reigns.

[Cari · Rating 1 out of 5]

Simply could not get into this book. I loved Fraser's biography of Marie Antoinette, and the subject matter for Warrior Queens is an instant hook for me. But, as my mother said when she tried to read it, this book reads like a textbook. Such a shame.

[Luci · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good general history of women warrior queens. My only complaint is really Fraser should have clarified her archetypes in the beginning so when she referenced them within the text, it would have been clear.

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very pro female. I enjoyed it very much. It is a nonfiction work describing nearly a dozen warring female leaders globally and throughout history. I checked it out of the ship's library and read it while touring Alaska.

[Claire Haeg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Women warriors from Boadicea to Margaret Thatcher. Entertainingly written hiistory of various female rulers in various countries. Boadicea is used to draw feminist themes regarding the difficulty of acting militarily in a feminine way. Well worth the read.

I do like Lady Toni.

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

A look at some brave women in history.

[Karen Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books ever. Fraser is an engaging writer even on dry subjects. In this book, she has some of the most interesting people in history to work with. Read it!

[Tim Pendry · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Lady] Antonia Fraser, married to the playwright Harold Pinter (now deceased) and so forming a formidable intellectual household, is a popular narrative historian who is always highly readable and never patronising. She entertains as she educates and never talks down to her reader.

In this book, she looks at a theme rather than a period, centring the story of warrior queens in reality and in legend initially on a tale familar to the British, Boadicea (or Boudicca if you prefer), but extending her analysis to a series of strong women in history who meet her criteria.

She moves effortlessly from first century AD Britain to such interesting characters as Zenobia of Palmyra, Matilda (or Maud) who fought for the throne of England with Stephen, Tamara of Georgia, Isabella of Castile and many others through to a comparison with Mrs Thatcher.

She does not neglect other continents with chapters both on Jinga of the Ndongo in Africa and the Rani of Jhansi in the British Raj. She allows comparison and contrast - political successes like Elizabeth I with noble failures like Matilda of Tuscany and complete failures like Louise of Prussia.

Fraser is one of those writers who might be called feminist if the term had not been destroyed as a positive one by a generation of grievance specialists and moral fanatics who sit as part of that exercise in group-think that purports to be the Western Left.

She is to be regarded as a strong voice for the female point of view without a collapse into ideology. She sits alongside Simone de Beauvoir, Camille Paglia and, in my view, Virginie Despentes as someone who gives voice to women and makes men stop, think and, when necessary, change.

Above all, she is an excellent historian. I cannot think of one occasion where I felt I had to dispute a judgement she makes on the evidence placed before her. She thinks in the round, able to see how her narrative relates to culture and society then and now (1988 in this case).

When she points out the sometimes absurd manner in which a largely male culture has reconstructed these women - often too positively it might be said because of the chivalric impulse or the will to believe in a 'queen' or 'goddess'- she does so without moralising.

It has some useful insights into male absurdity and is more useful in pointing out that women are capable of anything (should they choose to want to do anything) than all the dull or shrill tracts thrown at men in outrage or bitterness.

I will be gifting this book to my daughter as an exemplar of good writing and sound historical sense but it is not just a feel-good book for women (which I hope it will be), it is also a book that any man can profit from reading. I recommend it on that basis alone.

[Hella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dalla regina degli Iceni, Boudicca, vissuta tra il 33 e il 60 DC, passando per Isabella di Castiglia e Caterina Sforza, fino alle più contemporanee Margaret Thatcher, Golda Meir e Indira Ghandi, la storica Antonia Fraser fa un excursus di tutte le "regine guerriere", donne che nei secoli hanno preso il comando e hanno combattuto, con qualunque arma potessero.
Per ognuna di loro viene raccontata la storia, come hanno ottenuto il potere, le loro gesta e soprattutto in che modo venissero viste dai contemporanei. Ognuna di loro ricade in una casellina degli stereotipi, quindi o è donna di rara purezza fino all'essere vergine, oppure è donna di facilissimi costumi e di sfrenatissima licenziosità. Oppure, il costante riferimento a una infanzia da maschiaccio, in preparazione dell'avvenire; del cuore da uomo di cui queste donne devono essere dotate per scendere in battaglia.
E' stato un viaggio molto interessante ed ho davvero apprezzato molto scoprire figure femminili che non conoscevo, come Tamara di Georgia, la Rani di Jhansi e la regina Jinga.
C'è un continuo riferirsi, per ogni regina, a Boudicca, in cosa erano simili e in cosa dissimili. E in questo incrociare le figure, con i tantissimi riferimenti portati, mi ha fatto un po' perdere l'ordine in diversi punti. Forse avrei apprezzato che ognuna avesse il suo spazio o che ci fosse più stacco tra un punto e l'altro.
Davvero molto bello e interessante, la storia delle donne è sempre affascinante!

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very dense book and one that probably should be used as a reference. It written from the feminist point of view and I think is quite accurate in historical detail.

[Jessica Fyffe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked the first half where it focused on Artemesia, Cleopatra, Boudica and Zenobia. The second half felt like constant comparisons and references to Margaret Thatcher and was quite disjointed in the sense there were bits of information everywhere. I like my non fictions to be structured with a rhythmatic flow and where the information pertaining to a specific topic is compiled in one section

[Natalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initially a bought this book thinking it was a biography of some important queens in history, in reality this is an essay of the image of warrior queens with Boadicea as the linking figure.
The autor starts explaining what is a warrior queen and which elements she will study for each of the women mentioned. She make the distinction between the legend and the real person, especially with Boadicea, who is the legend and Boudica who is the actual queen.
The women study here are, Boudica, Zenobia, Matilda of Tuscany, Tamara of Georgia, Isabella the Catholic, Catalina Sforza, Queen Nzinga of Angola, rani of Jhanzi, Louise of Prussia, Margaret Tatcher.
The only problem with the book is that the authors assumes that the reader kmows english history and geography, and develops the queens that are related with the UK more that the ones not related.
Overall is a good book to understand the develope of the figure of warrior queens, a bit slow to read but with a los of interesting information.