Women warriors

by David E. Jones

Global in its focus and pan-historical in its scope, Women Warriors includes the stories of scores of women leaders, soldiers, pirates, outlaws, terrorists, cavalry leaders, and more. In first-century Britain, Boudicea, Queen of the Iceni, led her followers in the destruction of the Roman towns of Colchester and London, leaving up to one hundred thousand dead in her wake. In the third century A.D., Queen Bat Zabbai of Palmyra (modern Syria) rode through the deserts with nomads, wore armor, and hunted with zeal. She also conquered Egypt and extended her domain from the Mediterranean to India - for a time making her the de facto ruler of the eastern Roman Empire. And of course there is Joan of Arc, the sainted French patriot who led her nation's forces in the siege of Orleans, driving back the English. Although their exact numbers are unknown, hundreds of women fought in the American Civil War on both sides of the conflict, often disguised as men. Women have also served in the ranks and