The world is full of women we don't know whose stories have been overlooked or airbrushed from history.

Often faced with limited life choices, this book proudly showcases those women who took matters into their own hands and became forces to be reckoned with.

These are women you SHOULD know about. Love them or loathe them, they made their mark. From cross dressing soldiers to scheming mistresses and courtesans, _Warriors and Wenches_ offers up an indulgent romp through centuries of history, from widows turned tank drivers bent on bloody vengeance and fierce martial arts fighters, to women who magnificently and outrageously turned their social lot in life to their advantage: the mistresses, courtesans and uniquely French maitresse-en-titres who wielded incredible power and influence in the sumptuous courts of Europe.

_Warriors and Wenches_ doesn't seek to decide whether these women were good' or bad'; we'll leave it up to you to make up your own minds. But these are just some of the women who, through military skill, incredible courage and loyalty, scandal, poison plots and sexual debaucherie, have crossed over into the realm of legend and myth and become powerful symbols of feminist power.

When the destiny of a nation is in a woman's bedroom, the best place for the historian is in the antechamber.

Charles-Augustin Sainte-Reuve