History Extra podcast

Women on the front line, from forgotten commanders to cross-dressing soldiers

Military history is generally assumed to be a male domain. But according to Sarah Percy, author of Forgotten Warriors, this popular perception ignores hundreds of years of women on the front line. Speaking with Emily Briffett, Sarah unpicks this narrative, and considers some of the roles women have played in warfare throughout history, from formidable commanders Queen Njinga and Charlotte de La Trémoille to Dahomey’s all-female regiment.

(Ad) Sarah Percy is the author of Forgotten Warriors: A History of Women on the Front Line (John Murray, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Forgotten-Warriors-Women-Changed-History/dp/152934431X/?tag=bbchistory045-21&amp;ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty
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The History Extra podcast brings you gripping stories from the past and fascinating historical conversations with the world's leading historical experts.  
 
Produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine, History Extra is a free history podcast, with episodes released six times a week. Subscribe now for the real stories behind your favourite films, TV shows and period dramas, as well as compelling insights into lesser-known aspects of the past. 
 
We delve into global history stories spanning the ancient world right up to the modern day. You’ll hear deep dives into the lives of famous historical figures like Cleopatra, Anne Boleyn and Winston Churchill, and explorations of intriguing events from the past, such as the Salem witch trials, the battle of Waterloo and D-Day. 
 
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Featuring interviews with notable historians including Mary Beard, Tracy Borman, James Holland and Dan Jones, we cover a range of social, political and military history, with the aim to start conversations about some of the most fascinating areas of the past. 
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