Legenda - The Real Women Behind the Myths that Shaped Europe

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 identities 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 Isabelle of Castile have been misrepresented, their stories twisted and weaponised. Meanwhile, ground-breaking 18 th and 19 th -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.

Product details

• Authors: Janina Ramirez, Ramirez Janina
• Publisher: Allen Lane
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 06.11.2025
• EAN: 9780753560426
• ISBN: 978-0-7535-6042-6
• No. of pages: 465
• Dimensions: 153 mm x 234 mm x 34 mm
• Subjects: Non-fiction book; HISTORY / Ancient / General, Regional & national history, HISTORY / World, Medieval History, Ancient History, General and world history, Ancient history: to c 500 CE, European history: medieval period, middle ages, HISTORY / Europe / Medieval