Janina Ramirez

La Edad Media se considera una época sanguinaria poblada por vikingos, caballeros, monjes y reyes: una sociedad patriarcal que oprimía y excluía a las mujeres. Pero, si nos fijamos un poco más, comprobamos que aquellos siglos fueron todo menos oscuros. Janina Ramirez, historiadora de Oxford especialista en la Edad Media, ha descubierto en los registros historicos una gran cantidad de nombres de mujeres tachados con la anotacion femina junto a ellos. Nuestra vision de la historia, pues, no esta completa: nos faltan ellas. Solo ahora, gracias a un minucioso examen de los objetos, escritos y posesiones que dejaron tras de si, emergen las influyentes y polifaceticas vidas de las mujeres de aquel tiempo. Femina va mas alla de la historia oficial para descubrir el verdadero impacto de mujeres como Jadwiga, la unica mujer que goberno como rey en Europa; Hildegarda de Bingen, la mayor sabia y polimata del Medievo, o la guerrera vikinga de Birka, cuyo esqueleto, originalmente atribuido a un varon, contradice la creencia de que las mujeres medievales no se dedicaban a la guerra. En un vibrante viaje que recorre toda Europa, las voces que emergen en este volumen nos ofrecen una mirada a una nueva Edad Media profundamente original y emocionante.

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'The women of the Middle Ages, so often silent and inconspicuous in our histories, find voice, agency and justice in this brilliant book' - Alice Roberts, bestselling author of Ancestors: A Prehistory of Britain in Seven Burials'Beautifully written, wonderfully free-ranging and gloriously original, Femina makes us look into the mists of history in new, exciting and provocative ways. A joyous read' - Peter Frankopan, bestselling author of The Silk Roads

AN INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER A Radio 4 Book of the Week Selected as a book to look out for in 2024 by the Guardian and The Rest is PoliticsEveryone is originally from Africa and this book is therefore for everyone For too long Africa s history has been dominated by western narratives of slavery and colonialism or simply ignored Now Zeinab Badawi sets the record straight In this fascinating book Badawi guides us through Africa s spectacular history from the very origins of our species through ancient civilisations and medieval empires with remarkable queens and kings to the miseries of conquest and the elation of independence Visiting more than thirty African countries to interview countless historians anthropologists archaeologists and local storytellers she unearths buried histories from across the continent and gives Africa its rightful place in our global story The result is a gripping new account of Africa an epic sweeping history of the oldest inhabited continent on the planet told through the voices of Africans themselves