Some were feisty and fiery. Others were cool and dangerous. All were incredibly courageous. Outrageous Women of The Middle Ages took on the challenge of their world—and didn't worry about ruffling a few feathers.

Among the outrageous women you'll meet are:

• Eleanor of Aquitaine—queen of France and later England, she led a group of women on the Second Crusade and created her own financial system
• Lady Murasaki Shikibu—besides being a wife and mother, she learned the "forbidden" language of Chinese and wrote the world's first novel
• Aud the Deep-Minded—a Viking wise woman and explorer who led her clan, grandchildren and all, on a risky voyage from Scotland to Iceland
• Hildegarde of Bingen—the German nun who, late in life, became a composer, a botanist, and founded convents
• Damia al-Kahina—a nomadic freedom fighter, skilled at peacemaking and war, who kept her North African homeland free

...

The author of Uppity Women of Ancient Times makes history sizzle once again with insightful and witty portraits and accounts of women, notorious, courageous, and unusual who both defined and defied their times. Exceptionally researched and irresistibly entertaining, Uppity Women of Medieval Times gives readers a feminist--and humorous--perspective on little-known great women of history. NPR underwriting in San Francisco & New York....