Sisters In Arms: Female Warriors from Antiquity to the New Millennium
By Julie Wheelwright
Hardback
Shortlisted for the British Army Book of the Year 2021. Sisters in Arms shows the many faces of women in combat from the myths of the ancient world to the headline-grabbing conflicts of today with a scrupulous attention to their different contexts, but a common compassion for their struggles and achievements. Wheelwright not only uncovers neglected female warriors, but she brings their temperaments, talents, fancies, and foibles to life.
Sisters in Arms charts the evolution of women in combat, from the Scythian warriors who inspired the Amazonian myth, to the passing soldiers and sailors of the eighteenth century, and on to the re-emergence of women as official members of the armed forces in the twentieth century.
Author Julie Wheelwright traces our fascination with these forgotten heroines, using their own words, including official documents, diaries, letters and memoirs, to bring their experiences vividly to life. She examines their contemporary legacy and the current role of women in the armed forces, while calling into question the enduring relationship between masculinity and combat.
