Ballantine Books
October 2017
On Sale: September 26, 2017
592 pages ISBN: 1101966661 EAN: 9781101966662 Kindle: B01NAOZJVY Hardcover / e-Book Add to Wish List
This epic book brings to vivid life five powerful Norman
queens, from Matilda of Flanders, wife of William the
Conqueror, to the Empress Matilda, mother to King Henry
II, founder of the Plantagenet dynasty.
The lives of England’s medieval queens were packed with
tragedy, betrayal, love, warfare, adultery and mystery—but
their stories are obscured by centuries of myth and
prejudice against these powerful women.
These Norman queens were actually more autonomous and
influential than most later queens, since they actually
participated in battles and led troops of their own. By
joining her husband William the Conqueror in the battle to
take control of England, Matilda of Flanders set a
precedent for her female descendants to continue to ride
onto the battlefield and maintain their own separate
armies.