Uppity Women Series by Vicki León

Quotes from little-known vixens and forgotten boat rockers to famous trailblazers, troublemakers, and headline grabbers.

Uppity Women of the New World

Take a Romp through the Renaissance when uppity women ruled! In an era typically associated with famous men, infamous women also abounded: Catalina de Erauso, who dueled, drank, and cross-dressed her way through Spain and North America; Christina of Denmark, a dimpled sixteen-year-old widow who turned down Henry VIII (and lived to tell about it); and Veronica Franco, an Italian poet and courtesan turned politician who lobbied in defense of Venice's painted ladies, to name just a few.

From army commanders to international traders to mine owners and mistresses, Uppity Women of Shakespearean Times is a riveting and riotous parade of women who refused to button up or back down... moreFrom army commanders to international traders to mine owners and mistresses, Uppity Women of Shakespearean Times is a riveting and riotous parade of women who refused to button up or back down. You will read about: Nell Gwynn, who rose from hawking oysters on the docks to be the mistress of King Charles II of England Veronica Franco, an Italian poet and courtesan turned politician who lobbied in defense of Venice's painted ladies Barbara Uttmann of Annaberg who revitalized her community after the local silver mines petered out---by organizing a female corps of lacemakers. Long Meg from Lancashire, English folk hero or heroine, depending on the situation, who never tired of the outrageous fun of cross-dressing and whose adventurous exploits made her the subject of popular books and countless songs in the seventeenth century. And countless other amazing heroines and harpies---200 biographical anecdotes of fascinating detail and enlightening variety. less

"There is a good reason why no one has bothered to write much about women from the ancient Greek world. To find out about the times they lived in, you have to sift through the mountains of the dullest writing ever written. Despite the dustiness of the prose and the endlessness of the footnotes, I love historical research. Why? Because it's the highest form of time travel, a do-it-yourself detective story... more"There is a good reason why no one has bothered to write much about women from the ancient Greek world. To find out about the times they lived in, you have to sift through the mountains of the dullest writing ever written. Despite the dustiness of the prose and the endlessness of the footnotes, I love historical research. Why? Because it's the highest form of time travel, a do-it-yourself detective story."Vicki León, author of Uppity Women, has done seven hard years of research in the often-impenetrable thicket of classical literature and turned it into a poignant, vivid book about flesh-and-blood people. Not just about women for women, Uppity moves from Athens to Alexandria, from 600 BC, to 415 AD, from women of privilege to slaves. Uppity spends as much time on the framework in which these boat-rockers lived as on the women themselves. The result is a book that will fascinate readers of both genders.A writer for 17 years, León has written at length on travel, wildlife, and wild women. Her books include irreverent guides to California and North America and a nature series for Black Publishing, where she has helped shape the entire book line. León also aspires to be uppity but feels her impertinence still needs work. less

Vicki Leon, tireless explorer of the past, has gathered a treasure of information from sources written, etched, carved, and painted, to reconstruct the lives of wild women who wouldn't keep their places. From Queen Elizabeth to Joan of Arc, from Artemisia Gentileschi to Damia al-Kahina, this collection of medieval women who took history into their own hands will mesmerize, amuse, and inspire you.