A fantastic book to read and listen to during a few business travel trips. To specifically talk to the audiobook, I loved how this narrator gave character to these women and changed her voice just a bit for each women featured in the book. She also read the book with conviction, there was no monotone in this one and because of this I would love to hear her read another!

I read this book at a time where I needed to hear about powerful women to empower myself! I loved hearing about these women who lived such big lives at a time where women weren't allowed in many places. They defied what the critics said and proceeded to fill roles that were set aside for men.

After reading this book, I wanted to dive deeper into each woman's story and hope to read a book that is dedicated to each woman individually to hear even more of their stories and their individual experiences. I love when a book pushes me to want to know more.

My first Maureen Quilligan book, but by no means my last - I plan on reading more from her in the not so distant future.

An exploration of the lives of 6 female pharaohs who ruled over ancient Egypt in their own rights.

The author spends a lot of time attempting to draw parallels between these rulers and modern times and modern situations. It was distracting and didn't add to the narrative in any real substantive way. Without the asides and personal opinions, it would have been a much better book relying on the historical record or even the mythology behind these rulers.

I received an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.

Very interesting listen! I would 100% recommend this and I even used it as a source for a research I did for school

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Loved reading this book! want to buy 2 copies, one for me and one for my mom! great read.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher/author for providing me with an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was exactly what I wanted it to be! I loved it. I will make sure to check out other books by this author. When I requested this I was just intrigued by the concept of it and I loved how it turned out. This story had a great plot and if you have read this and enjoyed it, This was so much. It was such a great story. I would say give this one a try. I will continue to follow this author. Way to go to this author for not letting me down.

I highly enjoyed the narrator of the audiobook. Kept me listening.

The thing that can make or break an audiobook is the narrator. This narrator was amazing, and truly brought the lives of these historical women to life. The excitement she brought to the material was monumental.

That being said, I've seen quite a few places that reference some historical inaccuracies in this book, and as it makes itself out to be historically accurate and not a work of fiction, that's quite disappointing.

Also, I enjoy the concept of giving these women their credit for the important impact they had on the furthering of society at large, and I know that the book was meant to celebrate that. That, I very much support.

So, basically, this is a complex book to review, isn't it? I loved listening to it, was bummed that some facts were a bit of a stretch, but I enjoy that women were being celebrated for their strength and fortitude.

I loved the narrator for this book, I think that she did a wonderful job with this and brought what could be an overwhelming subject to life with clarity. However, I felt that the actual text itself was perhaps over-reaching, and made broader statements than the evidence could support. I do think it could act as a strong introduction to the period as a whole in Europe, though!

I've seen elsewhere that this book contains historical errors. While I love a feminist history, I can't support a history book that contains errors.

I was hoping for a bit more from this book, as it focused on four key women from the Renaissance; Queen Mary Tudor, Mary, Queen of Scots, Elizabeth I and Catherine de Medici. Unfortunately for me, the narrative felt quite skewed towards the Tudors, with very little of the book covering the Medicis. Also, I thought that the author chose to narrow in on strange things, so there are detailed descriptions of baptismal fonts and bolts of cloth, along with various artworks. I am sure that this book will work well for many readers, but it didn't quite work for me.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Audio ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Audio review first: really liked the narrator. She brought the right combination of nuance and humour to the narration, adding interest to an already engaging subject. (Minor, very petty issue - was there no UK narrator available? It is centred around UK history after all!)

Main review:

I am baffled that some reviewers have described the subject matter as dry! It was fascinating. I would like more historical tomes that focus on the complex interpersonal relationships between historical figures, taking into account the context of the time and the language of gifts between highly educated people in power. I think it's especially interesting to consider the way these four renaissance queens - who had ascended to power despite the genuine patriarchy they lived in - interacted and thought of each other. It was incredibly refreshing to look at female relationships from a more layered perspective instead of just accepting the centuries old male promoted understanding of events. Important events happened off the battlefield and out of parliament! As is proved here.

It certainly reframes Mary Tudor's relationship with her younger sister, Elizabeth I's relationship with her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots, and Catherine Medici's relationship with all of them. (Mostly male) Historians have led us to believe that there was little between these women except petty jealousies and plots to destroy each other. And I suppose if you're going to embrace a perspective of these women being in power because there was no other choice and that women at that time had no value beyond their ability to produce children, then you're going to fall into the trap of grossly misunderstanding communications and gifts between them. You're not going to understand that some gifts were comments on a person's character, some showed kinship, some were intended as pieces of art to be passed down to daughters, and some were tactful ways of giving presents of ready cash to poorer monarchs. The gold christening font Elizabeth sent to Mary queen of Scotts, for example, which Mary melted down to pay her soldiers a scant three months later, was likely intended for just that purpose. Elizabeth knew Mary was in trouble and had limited resources, and this was a way of helping without conferring obligation or appearing to interfere in another kingdom's politics. But if all you can see is a jealous older queen intimidated by the presence of a younger, beautiful cousin, then the subtlety, wit and aptness of the gift is going to go over your head.

And that's what this book does. It challenges pre-conceptions about these four women and calls for a more nuanced examination of the historical record. This is something we should be applying to all history, rather than accepting the inherited Victorian version of events. Overall this was an excellent book. I found some of the subject changes a little abrupt and it had the irritating habit of getting into detail on a subject and then just stopping before pursuing another thread. I wish Lady Jane Grey had been considered more simply because how she came to rule for nine days and the men pushing her forward would have given more context to Mary Tudor ascending the throne. And honestly, I could have happily read a much longer version of this book. But these are minor gripes and I highly recommend it.

Generally very interested in history from these eras and I was delighted to read such a clear and well-told/researched combination of such interesting stories of these fascinating women

Thank you to @netgalley @highbridgeaudio for the ALC in the return for my honest review.
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My thoughts….
Women Rule. For me, what was not to like in a book where Mary I, Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots and Catherine De Medic were all in. I thought the narrator did a great job. I learned a lot and enjoyed listening to their different leadership/ruling styles.

This book was brilliant it follows the lives of queens of Europe, mainly British queens. I listened to the audiobook and loved the narrator she had an almost regal voice with i though was fitting. Although the narrator was American the names and places were pronounced clear and correctly.  I found this book very interesting and I learnt so much while listening to this book. I loved the attention to the small little details and these added to my enjoyment of the book. One example is when one was beheaded her little dog was hiding underneath her skirt. I really liked the cover aswell very fitting. 
This fantastic book look more closely at Mary the first, Elizabeth the first, Mary Queen of Scots and Catherine De Medici. I loved the contrast in ruling styles between the kings and Queen. Showing the women rule fairer and support each other.
Thanks to the author and publishing team for bringing a wonderful book to us so we can easily learn from history and really enjoy it. Already listed on waterstones, Google books, Barnes&noble, amazon and goodreads 11/11/21 same as above review and my blog https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/when-women-ruled-the-world-by-maureen-quilligan-highbridge-audio-4-stars

A solid 3.5 for me. There have been countless books written on the four queens featured in this book. Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth of England, Mary Queen of Scots, and Catherine de’ Medici. I have read a few of them. I knew this one was going to be interesting when it opened and talked about how there was a difference in the gifts that women gifted each other, and how they were designed to hold value and bring prestige to the receiver, while men are usually gifted women.
The four queens were all rulers around the same time, and they all interacted with each other in personal and professional ways. This book covers each woman, and her history, in its own right. It also looks at how their history then overlaps and what those interactions in the written record tells us about each Queen, and about their relationships. Where there is a difference between the record and what popular history tells us about the Queens Maureen Quilligan makes sure to point out. Some of what is in the book can be old retellings to those who have studied these women before, but it is a refreshing refusal to take the same old sexist tropes of jealousy and bitterness that surrounds ruling Queens. If you have read on the subject it will seem repetitive with gems hidden in it, if you haven’t, it is a good place to start learning about some of the many ruling Queens of the century. Thank you to NetGalley and Liverlight for the copy of this book.

This was an interesting in-depth look at the reign of Mary I, Elizabeth II, Mary Queen of Scots, and Catherine de Medici. It reminded me a bit of Marilyn Yalom's History of the Wife, presenting a different perspective on the power women had and the way historical texts as written by men have muddled the facts. Like Yalom's work, the title implies pancultural coverage but is limited to Western culture. The book focuses on the amount of support and collaboration that female rulers offered one another, rather than the propaganda of rivalries of conventional history. Well-researched and relevant, this would be a great addition for academic and public library collections.

I found the narrator fairly dry and wooden, which I think can be a pitfall with non-fiction content.

*Many thanks to Maureen Quilligan, HighBridge Audio, and netgalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
An interesting insight into the lives of Mary Tudor, Elizabeth I, Mary Stuart and Catherine de Medici, four women who had a lot in common and were somehow related by the role they played in their times.
This audiobook is an excellent introduction for readers who know little of the four formidable women and for me it was an entertaining listen even though I have read quite a few books on these women.

First line: In 1558, when John Knox, the radical Scottish religious reformer, published his misogynist tract, The First Blast of the Trumpet against the Monstrous Regiment of Women, he called attention to what was strangely true in the middle of the sixteenth century in Europe: a remarkable number of women had ascended to supreme governmental power.

Summary: During the sixteenth century four women ruled over some of the most powerful countries in the world; Mary I and Elizabeth I in England, Mary Queen of Scots and Catherine de Medici in France. In this book the author looks how the interacted and changed the countries they ruled over.

My Thoughts: I love the history of the sixteenth century. I have read much on Elizabeth I but a lot less on the other three women. It was interesting to hear how they communicated, worked together and supported each other. Even though the ends of the two Marys was tragic they made their marks on history. I really want to know more about Catherine de Medici. She is someone who seems to be misrepresented in many historical fiction and movies.

FYI: Good introduction to each woman and how they came to be in their positions.

This is an engaging and accessible account of these powerful women. And it's slightly revisionist, taking into account the jealousies and manipulative accounts of men who needed the narrative to be told a certain way. I think this is an excellent addition to the World History collection of any library looking to make sure women's stories are told with accuracy.

The book is divided into 4 parts focusing on different female queens that ruled around the same time in 16th century Europe: Tudors (Mary I and Elizabeth I), Mary Queen of Scots, and Catherine de Medici. Each part looks at the queens individually but also how they interacted with one another.

I love reading about Royal history, especially the Tudors! Great concept but just wasn’t what I expected and wish it had more of a general overview of what the queens contributed to the Renaissance world. It mostly looked at how the queens acted with each other. Also I would’ve liked more on Catherine de Medici - her chapter was the shortest and she’s the one I know the least about.

The author takes care to look at the women and their political strategies differently than what most male historians have discussed on the topic. I enjoyed how she viewed them in a different light and took a deeper look into their motivations rather than the cut and dry “they hated each other” answers!

Although some subject material is the same as fictional works about the queens (one reviewer said it’s a great book for Philippa Gregory fans), WWRW is more of a scholarly read. It is a bit dry, but if you’re interested in the subject, you may enjoy this one! However if you’re looking for a dramatic storytelling nonfiction book, this isn’t going to be for you. the narrator sounded strangely robotic which only added to how dry the text was;it felt like I was back in a lecture hall with a bored professor.

Overall it wasn’t terrible but I wish it had been a bit less dry and had more about info about 1. Catherine de Medici and 2. The queens’ impact on Renaissance in Europe other than wars.

Murder, betrayal, and tragedy motivated by religion, power, and paranoia--this was the climate of sixteenth-century Europe where Maureen Quilligan takes us to focus on four matriarchs Mary Tudor; Elizabeth I; Mary, Queen of Scots; and Catherine de’ Medici in her Renaissance history When Women Rule the World.

In an age of destabilization, age-old norms were changing and religious wars were raging—this forms the backdrop of the lives of these four, interrelated women.

Recasting the dramatic stories and complex political relationships among these four women rulers, Maureen Quilligan rewrites centuries of scholarship that sought to depict intense personal hatreds among them. Instead, showing how the queens engendered a culture of mutual respect.

The audiobook, expertly narrated by Suzanne Toren, was helpful in keeping me engaged in what at times could be a taxing and confusing cast of characters--a lot of shared first and surnames--and a bit dull subject matter.

However, just when things are getting a bit too dense for me, boom someone is getting beheaded or blown up or imprisoned or gutted, drawn & quartered. What a horrible time to be alive!

The most interesting and by far unique/best part of this particular historical treatise is the emphasis placed on the ways in which these four women utilized the skills to which they were relegated on account of their assigned gender (childrearing, weaving, embroidering, calligraphy, etc) to forged unique political bonds via thoughtful gifting, secret messaging, and joint creation.

These tools of specifically female politicking are not traditionally highlighted as diplomacy in histories written and documented by men, so it was interesting and important to see them recognized here by Quilligan.

Publication Date: October 12, 2021

Thank you to @NetGalley and @HighBridgeAudio for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

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