-
Powerful Women Who Ruled the Ancient World
- Narrated by: Kara Cooney
- Length: 5 hrs and 45 mins
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $29.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's Summary
What is power and who is allowed to wield it? Why is female power so rare and, often, so feared? What can the women who gained power in the ancient world teach us about the contemporary world and our modern ideas of gender, authority, and equality?
Listeners will explore these and other questions as you travel back to the ancient world and uncover the stories of remarkable women who overcame a host of barriers to wield power in a male-dominated world. From Egypt and Mesopotamia to China and Rome, you will meet women who worked strategically to gain unprecedented influence and you will see how their stories echo through the centuries, offering surprising relevance to our understanding of gender and sexual dynamics today.
In Powerful Women of the Ancient World, Professor Kara Cooney will share the stories of women who rose to power through ambition; intelligence; skill; and sheer determination. First, you will take a look at what power actually is - how it is defined, how different kinds of power operate, and why women and men are often viewed differently when power is involved. Then, meet the women of the ancient world who challenged the status quo by grasping for and holding authority. Some names listeners will likely already recognize through their “cautionary tales”, such as Cleopatra and Jezebel. Others, though less well-known, will show you the different ways it is possible to be powerful. You will meet rulers like Empress Lü of China and Hatshepsut of Egypt, rebel leaders such as Boudica of Britain, religious leaders like the Hebrew prophetess Deborah, and more.
As listeners will learn, times may have changed since antiquity, but the past has a long reach - and in many ways, our cultural ideas about women and power are surprisingly slow to change.
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
10 Women Who Ruled the Renaissance
- By: Joyce Salisbury, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Joyce Salisbury
- Length: 4 hrs and 59 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The 16th century was a time of immense change across the globe. For many historians, it marks a massive shift in the way the world operated; it is often considered the beginning of modernity. We may regard the 16th century as the time of Shakespeare and the conquistadors, but women also played a powerful role in many of the major events around the world. In 10 Women Who Ruled the Renaissance, you will explore the lives of 10 extraordinary women who exemplified the spirit of the 1500s - an era dominated by adventure, discovery, and cross-cultural exchange.
-
-
Fills Gaps in History
- By Amanda on 01-22-21
By: Joyce Salisbury, and others
-
The Woman Who Would Be King
- Hatshepsut's Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt
- By: Kara Cooney
- Narrated by: Kara Cooney
- Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hatshepsut - the daughter of a general who usurped Egypt's throne and a mother with ties to the previous dynasty - was born into a privileged position in the royal household, and she was expected to bear the sons who would legitimize the reign of her father's family. Her failure to produce a male heir was ultimately the twist of fate that paved the way for her improbable rule as a cross-dressing king.
-
-
Fascinating and Thorough
- By carol on 04-19-15
By: Kara Cooney
-
Warriors, Queens, and Intellectuals: 36 Great Women Before 1400
- By: Joyce E. Salisbury, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Joyce E. Salisbury
- Length: 17 hrs and 53 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Throughout history, women have played integral roles in family, society, religion, government, war - in short, in all aspects of human civilization. Powerful women have shaped laws, led rebellions, and played key roles in dynastic struggles. Some were caught up in forces beyond their control, while others manipulated and murdered their way to the top. However, unearthing their stories from the historical record has been a challenge, with the ordinary difficulties of preserving information across the generations increased by centuries of historical bias and gendered expectations.
-
-
A very solid course worth your time
- By Tommy D'Angelo on 07-16-19
By: Joyce E. Salisbury, and others
-
Feminism in the 1990s
- By: Jennifer Baumgardner, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Jennifer Baumgardner
- Length: 2 hrs and 26 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Beginning with a brief overview of the various goals and phases of feminism from the early 19th century onward, writer and feminist theorist Jennifer Baumgardner takes you on a tour of a tumultuous decade full of complex issues and contradictions through the lens of the feminist movement and the ways it shaped - and was shaped by - the closing years of the 20th century. From abortion rights to ‘zines, Feminism in the 1990s explores the ways third-wave feminism reacted to popular culture while simultaneously being co-opted by it.
-
-
Oh, Great Courses. What have they done to you?
- By Elijah on 05-22-21
By: Jennifer Baumgardner, and others
-
Witchcraft in the Western Tradition
- By: Jennifer McNabb, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Jennifer McNabb
- Length: 5 hrs and 11 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Beginning with the witch hunts of the early 15th century, Professor Jennifer McNabb takes you on an eye-opening exploration of witchcraft and superstition in Witchcraft in the Western Tradition. In these 10 lectures, you will better understand where many of our most indelible images of witchcraft come from and how the religious pursuit of witches across Europe and into the Americas in the early modern period spread fear and violence like a contagion, for generations.
-
-
Interesting, but not great
- By KlaatuBaradaNikto on 01-10-21
By: Jennifer McNabb, and others
-
The Good Kings
- Absolute Power in Ancient Egypt and the Modern World
- By: Kara Cooney
- Narrated by: Kara Cooney
- Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Written in the tradition of historians like Stacy Schiff and Amanda Foreman who find modern lessons in ancient history, this provocative narrative explores the lives of five remarkable pharaohs who ruled Egypt with absolute power, shining a new light on the country's 3,000-year empire and its meaning today.
-
-
Ancient Egypt as Metaphor for the Trump Administration
- By Orlando R. Murgado on 12-09-21
By: Kara Cooney
-
10 Women Who Ruled the Renaissance
- By: Joyce Salisbury, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Joyce Salisbury
- Length: 4 hrs and 59 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The 16th century was a time of immense change across the globe. For many historians, it marks a massive shift in the way the world operated; it is often considered the beginning of modernity. We may regard the 16th century as the time of Shakespeare and the conquistadors, but women also played a powerful role in many of the major events around the world. In 10 Women Who Ruled the Renaissance, you will explore the lives of 10 extraordinary women who exemplified the spirit of the 1500s - an era dominated by adventure, discovery, and cross-cultural exchange.
-
-
Fills Gaps in History
- By Amanda on 01-22-21
By: Joyce Salisbury, and others
-
The Woman Who Would Be King
- Hatshepsut's Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt
- By: Kara Cooney
- Narrated by: Kara Cooney
- Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hatshepsut - the daughter of a general who usurped Egypt's throne and a mother with ties to the previous dynasty - was born into a privileged position in the royal household, and she was expected to bear the sons who would legitimize the reign of her father's family. Her failure to produce a male heir was ultimately the twist of fate that paved the way for her improbable rule as a cross-dressing king.
-
-
Fascinating and Thorough
- By carol on 04-19-15
By: Kara Cooney
-
Warriors, Queens, and Intellectuals: 36 Great Women Before 1400
- By: Joyce E. Salisbury, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Joyce E. Salisbury
- Length: 17 hrs and 53 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Throughout history, women have played integral roles in family, society, religion, government, war - in short, in all aspects of human civilization. Powerful women have shaped laws, led rebellions, and played key roles in dynastic struggles. Some were caught up in forces beyond their control, while others manipulated and murdered their way to the top. However, unearthing their stories from the historical record has been a challenge, with the ordinary difficulties of preserving information across the generations increased by centuries of historical bias and gendered expectations.
-
-
A very solid course worth your time
- By Tommy D'Angelo on 07-16-19
By: Joyce E. Salisbury, and others
-
Feminism in the 1990s
- By: Jennifer Baumgardner, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Jennifer Baumgardner
- Length: 2 hrs and 26 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Beginning with a brief overview of the various goals and phases of feminism from the early 19th century onward, writer and feminist theorist Jennifer Baumgardner takes you on a tour of a tumultuous decade full of complex issues and contradictions through the lens of the feminist movement and the ways it shaped - and was shaped by - the closing years of the 20th century. From abortion rights to ‘zines, Feminism in the 1990s explores the ways third-wave feminism reacted to popular culture while simultaneously being co-opted by it.
-
-
Oh, Great Courses. What have they done to you?
- By Elijah on 05-22-21
By: Jennifer Baumgardner, and others
-
Witchcraft in the Western Tradition
- By: Jennifer McNabb, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Jennifer McNabb
- Length: 5 hrs and 11 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Beginning with the witch hunts of the early 15th century, Professor Jennifer McNabb takes you on an eye-opening exploration of witchcraft and superstition in Witchcraft in the Western Tradition. In these 10 lectures, you will better understand where many of our most indelible images of witchcraft come from and how the religious pursuit of witches across Europe and into the Americas in the early modern period spread fear and violence like a contagion, for generations.
-
-
Interesting, but not great
- By KlaatuBaradaNikto on 01-10-21
By: Jennifer McNabb, and others
-
The Good Kings
- Absolute Power in Ancient Egypt and the Modern World
- By: Kara Cooney
- Narrated by: Kara Cooney
- Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Written in the tradition of historians like Stacy Schiff and Amanda Foreman who find modern lessons in ancient history, this provocative narrative explores the lives of five remarkable pharaohs who ruled Egypt with absolute power, shining a new light on the country's 3,000-year empire and its meaning today.
-
-
Ancient Egypt as Metaphor for the Trump Administration
- By Orlando R. Murgado on 12-09-21
By: Kara Cooney
-
Medieval Myths & Mysteries
- By: Dorsey Armstrong, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Dorsey Armstrong
- Length: 5 hrs and 6 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The 10 enlightening (and often humorous) lectures of Medieval Myths and Mysteries will show you how far from the “dark” times of legend these centuries were. Uncover the facts about the Knights Templar. Reveal the truth behind the tales of legendary creatures like the Questing Beast and the unicorn. Trace the events of the Black Death and the ways it altered the world in its wake, and much more. With Professor Armstrong, you will dig deep into the ways that later generations reshaped the narrative of the medieval years and perpetuated the myths.
-
-
Interesting, but centered on Britain
- By Ximena on 04-10-20
By: Dorsey Armstrong, and others
-
Medical Mysteries Across History
- By: Roy Benaroch MD, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Roy Benaroch MD
- Length: 4 hrs and 49 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In these 10 eye-opening lectures by a practicing doctor and medical educator, you’ll walk through a series of medical mystery cases ripped from history and involving well-known historical figures whose identities are nevertheless hidden from you. Every one of these cases requires you to use your detective skills to identify and diagnose the mystery patient just like the doctors that attended them. In the process, you’ll learn fascinating insights into medicine: both the medicine that was practiced thousands of years ago and the medicine doctors practice today.
-
-
delightful
- By Amazon Customer on 03-14-20
By: Roy Benaroch MD, and others
-
The Pagan World
- Ancient Religions Before Christianity
- By: Hans-Friedrich Mueller, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Hans-Friedrich Mueller
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Pagan World: Ancient Religions Before Christianity, you will meet the fascinating, ancient polytheistic peoples of the Mediterranean and beyond, their many gods and goddesses, and their public and private worship practices, as you come to appreciate the foundational role religion played in their lives. Professor Hans-Friedrich Mueller, of Union College in Schenectady, New York, makes this ancient world come alive in 24 lectures with captivating stories of intrigue, artifacts, illustrations, and detailed descriptions from primary sources of intriguing personalities.
-
-
The Pagan World
- By arnold e andersen md Dr Andersen on 03-28-20
By: Hans-Friedrich Mueller, and others
-
Classical Mythology
- By: Elizabeth Vandiver, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Vandiver
- Length: 12 hrs and 25 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
These 24 lectures are a vibrant introduction to the primary characters and most important stories of classical Greek and Roman mythology. Among those you'll investigate are the accounts of the creation of the world in Hesiod's Theogony and Ovid's Metamorphoses; the gods Zeus, Apollo, Demeter, Persephone, Hermes, Dionysos, and Aphrodite; the Greek heroes, Theseus and Heracles (Hercules in the Roman version); and the most famous of all classical myths, the Trojan War.
-
-
the Facts behind the Myth
- By Joshua on 11-05-13
By: Elizabeth Vandiver, and others
-
Decoding Dogs: Inside the Canine Mind
- By: Ellen Furlong, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Ellen Furlong
- Length: 5 hrs and 43 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
They might be our best friends, but we often have no idea what they are thinking. Peer inside the fascinating world of the mind of the dog with associate professor of psychology Ellen Furlong of Illinois Wesleyan University. Ever wonder how the same nose that always manages to find the worst-smelling place in the park to roll around can also be trained to sniff out cancer, bombs, and even endangered plants and animals? As you embark on a penetrating look at the canine brain, you’ll break down the unique ways dogs think and feel.
-
-
Dogs!
- By Anonymous User on 08-19-20
By: Ellen Furlong, and others
-
Medical Mysteries Across History, Pt.2
- By: Roy Benaroch MD, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Roy Benaroch MD
- Length: 4 hrs and 37 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Doctors are more than doctors. They’re detectives who solve mysteries about the human body. Diagnosing patients is about looking for clues, whether a persistent tickle in the back of the throat or confusion and memory loss. Just like detectives, good doctors sift through information until they arrive at the medical solution that fits best. Think you have what it takes to keep up with medical detective work? Find out with this second installment of Dr. Roy Benaroch’s thrilling look at medical mysteries from across history.
-
-
Well done.
- By Amazon Customer on 01-04-21
By: Roy Benaroch MD, and others
-
The Black Death: The World's Most Devastating Plague
- By: Dorsey Armstrong, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Dorsey Armstrong
- Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Many of us know the Black Death as a catastrophic event of the medieval world. But the Black Death was arguably the most significant event in Western history, profoundly affecting every aspect of human life, from the economic and social to the political, religious, and cultural. In its wake the plague left a world that was utterly changed, forever altering the traditional structure of European societies and forcing a rethinking of every single system of Western civilization: food production and trade, the church, political institutions, law, art, and more.
-
-
Great “great course”
- By Dillion on 08-06-18
By: Dorsey Armstrong, and others
-
When Women Ruled the World
- By: Kara Cooney
- Narrated by: Kara Cooney
- Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This riveting narrative explores the lives of six remarkable female pharaohs, from Hatshepsut to Cleopatra - women who ruled with real power - and shines a piercing light on our own perceptions of women in power today. Female rulers are a rare phenomenon - but thousands of years ago in ancient Egypt, women reigned supreme. But throughout human history, women in positions of power were more often used as political pawns in a male-dominated society. What was so special about ancient Egypt that provided women this kind of access to the highest political office?
-
-
Difficult to know what to trust
- By Newme on 01-05-21
By: Kara Cooney
-
The Celtic World
- By: The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Jennifer Paxton PhD
- Length: 12 hrs and 52 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Following the surge of interest and pride in Celtic identity since the 19th century, much of what we thought we knew about the Celts has been radically transformed. In The Celtic World, discover the incredible story of the Celtic-speaking peoples, whose art, language, and culture once spread from Ireland to Austria. This series of 24 enlightening lectures explains the traditional historical view of who the Celts were, then contrasts it with brand-new evidence from DNA analysis and archeology that totally changes our perspective on where the Celts came from.
-
-
Focuses on what the lecturer is interested in
- By Marc on 07-29-18
-
Ancient Mesopotamia
- Life in the Cradle of Civilization
- By: The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Professor Amanda H. Podany PhD
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mesopotamia is the ancient name for the region that is now Iraq, a remarkably advanced civilization that flourished for two-thirds of the time that civilization has existed on Earth. Mesopotamians mastered irrigation agriculture; built the first complex urban societies; developed writing, literature, and law; and united vast regions through warfare and diplomacy. While civilizations like Greece and Rome have an unbroken tradition of written histories, the rich history of Mesopotamia has only been recently rediscovered, thanks to the decipherment of Mesopotamia's cuneiform writing less than 200 years ago.
-
-
Time with a great scholar & fantastic lecturer
- By John G. Sharp on 07-14-18
-
Why Evil Exists
- By: Charles Mathewes, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Charles Mathewes
- Length: 19 hrs and 6 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Whether we view it in theological, philosophical, or psychological terms, evil remains both a deeply intriguing question and a crucially relevant global issue. Now, Professor Mathewes offers you a richly provocative and revealing encounter with the question of human evil - a dynamic inquiry into Western civilization's greatest thinking and insight on this critical subject.
-
-
But What's Puzzling You is the Nature of My Game
- By W Perry Hall on 09-28-15
By: Charles Mathewes, and others
-
Years That Changed History: 1215
- By: Dorsey Armstrong, The Great Courses
- Narrated by: Dorsey Armstrong
- Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What is so important about the year 1215? There are some history buffs who may be able to tell you that 1215 is the year the Magna Carta was signed, but there are even fewer who know that King John of England’s acceptance of this charter was only one of four major, world-changing events of this significant year. In fact, the social, cultural, political, geographical, and religious shifts that occurred in this year alone had such a huge impact on the entire world, it warrants an entire course of study for anyone truly interested in the pivotal points of history....
-
-
1215 -- Before and Beyond
- By Carol on 08-16-19
By: Dorsey Armstrong, and others
Our favorite moments from Powerful Women Who Ruled the Ancient World

About the Professor
Dr. Kathlyn (Kara) Cooney is a professor of Egyptian art and architecture at UCLA. Dr. Cooney’s first trade book, The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut’s Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt, was published in 2014. As an archaeologist who spent years at various excavations in Egypt, Dr. Cooney drew from the latest field research to fill in the gaps in the historical record of Hatshepsut. Her 2018 book When Women Ruled the World explores the reigns of six powerful ancient Egyptian queens and how they changed our perceptions of power.
A Class of Your Own
Dive into some listens that help us grow in our jobs, our lives, and our knowledge of the world around us.



Audible Originals
We’re raising the bar on audio entertainment with these original listens produced in the Audible studios.



Intersecting Voices
Find a rich range of women who have used their tremendous gifts for storytelling to lift us all.



What listeners say about Powerful Women Who Ruled the Ancient World
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Red-Haired Ash
- 05-02-20
Informative
This audiobook is broken down into twelve lectures that discuss women in power in the ancient world, what power is, the different types of power there are and people in power are viewed and remembered differently because of their sex.
Kara Cooney does an amazing job at breaking down the history of women in power and the different types of power they wielded. Here are some of the women discussed in these lectures: Merneith (Egypt), Puabi (Sumerian), Hatshepsut (Egypt), Deborah (Isreal), Jezebel (Isreal), Athaliah (Isreal), Aspasia (Athens), Artemisia (Greek), Hypatia (Egypt/Roman), Empress Lu (China), and Cleopatra (Egypt). A few of these ancient Egyptian women are mentioned and discussed in more detail in Cooney’s previous books, The Woman Who Would Be King, and When Women Ruled the World.
The lectures focus on how these women wielded their power and for what reason. The majority seemed to be centered around family. They rose to power as regents over their sons and controlled their worlds through them. These women frequently met an untimely end and it is unclear how much of their legacy is the truth because of the slander made against them. I found it all to be fascinating and very informative, especially since quite a few of these women I had never heard of.
One of the facts that surprised me was that in ancient Greece true love was viewed to only be between a man and a man, never a woman and a man. This was fascinating because while I knew male/male coupling was a part of Greek culture I didn’t realize it was so widespread and actually expected.
Overall, this was a fascinating audiobook. I loved learning about all these different women and their rises to power. I do recommend you check out Cooney’s other books as well, especially if you like learning about Egypt. They go into greater detail about these women, especially Hatshepsut.
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Toro
- 03-07-21
Disappointing.
I listened to this course hoping it would focus on the characteristics and untold accomplishments of powerful women who ruled in the ancient world, as titled. Instead it was an exploration on the roots of modern patriarchy.
I understand Cooney’s objective to provide historical cultural context, and the allure of contrasting that context against modernity, but the title is grossly misstated. Instead of covering individual characters with any type of serious academic depth or in a chronological narrative, it groups together the challenges of women across cultures and expanses of time, spending disproportionate energy chronicling the methods by which contemporaneous males sought to limit female power or their legacy. Despite being rife with assumption and sometimes glaring logical leaps, this could be interesting if the title of the course was renamed to something more accurate to its content.
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Suzan
- 04-15-21
Don’t waste your time
She makes everything super political and controversial. I couldn’t get past the first 10 min. I found this absolutely unlistenable.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Bernadette Culpepper
- 04-22-21
Author modern attitude eclipse the material.
I ignored the warnings of other reviewer ‘s regarding the author. I absolutely love learning particularly areas I have no experience. The subject of women in the ancient world was quite intriguing to me.
This author did not use the proper context for her descriptions of powerful women in the old testament. I disagreed with her analysis of the situations primarily because she left out so much regarding the back stories of people like Jezebel. It makes me wonder just how much the other information is like in context as well.
I ceased before the last few chapters of the book due to the crescendo of woke feminism layered on ancient civilization. Thankful this course was included with my membership so I didn’t lose any credits just time.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- B. Dillon
- 03-06-21
Very well done
It was interesting but I would have liked to see the Hun daughters included. They stood on their own merits and would have been an interesting contrast.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- P. C.
- 06-26-21
Overkill on Discovering Misogyny
I agree that history and judgments come from the MEN in power. But the detection of misogyny throughout human motivations and judgments is overkill. The attack on the Hebrew Scriptures are disingenuous. I love Boudicca and Zenobia. They are hugely respected. But to dig up sexism and stereotypes of women in power really killed it for me.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Hubris
- 06-08-21
Surprisingly Biased
I think that what this book thought better than anything is that pretty much anyone can give an account of history; I will be more cautious in the future about discerning crafted assumptions from plainly presented truths.
I was hoping to learn a more detailed and insightful account of the lives of women rulers with a neutral perspective on the settings they existed in. Instead, it’s basically a cherry-picking soapbox for the authors feminist aligned bias.
One chapter wasn’t even about women in power, but just about bashing the Greeks (with what seems to be homophobic undertones) which she followed up by praising the Spartans and glossing over their own use of homosexuality.
Having said that, I will give the author this: she is an excellent narrator. She’s great at enunciation, pronunciation, and emotional emphasis— especially where venom is called for.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Terri Rose
- 04-30-22
For history lovers
This is a history of women in power and politics nation world. All the great women from ancient times who assumed the reins of power. If you like history it’s a good listen
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lynn
- 06-18-21
Engaging perspective
Cooney’s argument about women in power is persuasive and interesting. She sets the framework for the argument in the very effective first lecture and sticks to it to the end. She also makes solid connections between the women she uses as case studies and our modern political environment. This is definitely not an unbiased recitation of historical fact, but it is thoughtful and relevant. I highly recommend it.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Tatiana Sadyrina
- 05-20-21
Disturbing music
It was impossible to listen to this book because of the background constant music. Why do you need a flute accompanying the reading of the book it beyond me. I had to stop after 10 min , it gave me a sharp headache. The content might be good but the producers of this recording made entirely impossible to evaluate this.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Lisa
- 02-01-22
Historically informative, personally compelling
A great introduction to a number of women of the ancient world that I had not learned about through popular culture. Some very famous women such as Cleopatra feature, but this audiobook created a great starting point to further explore other ancient women.
Beyond the historical education, the author did a very good job of subtly drawing parallels between how the modern woman navigates the world in comparison to the ancient world. It beckons the listener to critically analyse their own world and perhaps how much or how little has changed.
Very enjoyable narration style, great audiobook overall and happy to have stumbled upon it!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- AngelM
- 01-22-22
Wow, historic data update
I love when we get historical facts based on great research. It gave me room to explore why today's attitudes and insights regarding women in general and especially women in power or political arenas can be skewed. Well told and the narration by Author Kara Cooney was easy to follow.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 12-20-21
Strong overview squeezed into a short audiobook
Narrator is clear and follows a well planned format. Covering strong women from Egypt, China and Rome.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Mrs H
- 12-12-21
Interesting subject that affects women todah
I loved this review based on facts. It gave me insight on today's attitudes towards women in general and especially women in power. Well told and easy to follow.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 12-12-21
Addictive
Another title from Kara Cooney, interesting and very addictive. As always informative and well-written. I strongly recommend it. 👏👏👏
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Joanne
- 11-25-21
History written in woke bitterness
So desperate is this author to paint a picture of downtrodden womanhood today it is as if modern strong women (regardless of their politics) Margaret Thatcher, Golda Meir, Indira Ghandi etc had never existed.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- carly n
- 09-28-21
really good
really interesting and clear to understand. great subjects and brilliant women discussed. would recommend
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Deirdre E Siegel
- 05-06-22
4th 5th or 6th listening and still excellent:-)
This is a fabulous book in The Great Courses series.
The Women described in this series prove that today’s powerful woman
should be - Angela Merkel
- Margaret Thatcher
- Hilary Rodham Clinton
All Women who have made men think twice, first :-)
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Anonymous User
- 03-18-22
Excellent!
I found this book enjoyable, as a magic carpet ride of civilisations I knew little about, geography as well as differentiation how ideologies shape power dynamics, gendered foundations of culture. Reputations. Truths. Scandals. Drama. Control.
The narration I found exciting, from chapter to chapter, region to region, in terms of providing a background to existence of times encountered. Providing a platform to why female power was in some cases almost nonexistent, yet others, an opportunity of succession.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Anonymous User
- 03-11-22
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Audible.
I Farrelly enjoyed this book I love to learn new things and wow the history of some women that are never heard of is just amazing but shameful because it's like kept a secret.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- LJ Petherbridge
- 09-21-21
Engaging look at historical examples of feminine power
Engaging content delivered expertly with an enthralling storyteller, this was a joy to listen to.
Examining the contexts and complexities of how powerful women of the past gained, held and lost their power should be a reflective lesson for all on the ways in which we view and relate to power in modern times.