3.12 Njinga (1): Rise of an African Queen
/We travel to the lands that make up modern Angola into the era of European colonialism and expansion, slavery and subjugation to tell the story of one of Africa’s greatest queens.
3.11 Joan of Arc (4) Ever Shining, Ever Glorious
/After Joan's death, France triumphed in the Hundred Years War, and which led to Joan’s rebirth as a true heroine of France and of liberty all over the world.
3.10 Joan of Arc (3) Out of fear of the fire
/Joan of Arc goes through months of penetrating and humiliating interrogation and trial as her captors seek to break her will and achieve moral as well as military victory
3.09 Joan of Arc (2) God's Will is Done
/After winning the faith of the Dauphin, Joan travels to her date with destiny at the besieged city of Orléans.
3.08 Joan of Arc (1) The Maid of Orléans
/Joan of Arc or Jeanne la Pucelle is the prototypical folk heroine - she is the gold standard on which they are all judged. Today we see how a teenage peasant girl persuaded a prince to let her lead his armies against the old enemy.
3.07 Tamar of Georgia (2) The Lioness of the Caucasus
/With her position at home secure, it was time for Tamar to make her mark on history, both on the battlefield and in building her cultural legacy
Listen to Mily Balakirev's Tamara, played by the Montreal Symphony Orchestra
3.06 Tamar of Georgia (1): King of Kings, Queen of Queens
/In twelfth century Georgia, a woman comes to the throne. Her people had never had a queen before, and the nation was surrounded by enemies. Tamar would have her work cut out to survive.
3.05 Hua Mulan: As useful as a son
/China has a cultural history rich in myth and legend - and none has shone quite so brightly both within and outside China than Mulan.
3.04 Trung Truc: Here come the drums
/Across the Red River Delta came the pounding of drums. The clans of Ancient Vietnam were being called to war - and the clamour came from two sisters, the eldest of which would fight a great empire in the cause of Vietnamese freedom.
3.03 Boudica (2) A woman of many faces
/Boudica, after seeing her kingdom annexed and her daughters violated fights her final battle against the Romans. She may have lost it, but her enduring legacy has seen her attain the rank of folk heroinehood in England.
3.02 Boudica (1) Warrior Woman of the Iceni
/A former ally of Rome, Boudica led one of the fiercest challenges against Roman rule of the early Empire. Since her death she has been lauded as a British hero; but who was she, and why did she rebel?
3.01 Folk Heroines: The Women who Built Nations
/Welcome to this third season of the Other Half! In this episode I set out what a folk heroine is, and why they are important.
Big news! We’re a member of Lyceum, a new app that makes it easy to discover great educational podcasts and chat with other passionate listeners. Download the app by visiting lyceum.fm, and come find me in discussion room.
2.41 Ena of Battenberg (3) A Final Triumph
/In this final episode of the second season of the Other Half, we see a political crisis in Spain force Ena and her family into exile. Stick around to the end to hear about what the next season will be about.
2.40 Ena of Battenberg (2) Oh what a life for the Queen of Spain
/After such an inauspicious start to her time as Queen of Spain, Ena had a lot of work to make her mark on her new home.
2.39 Ena of Battenberg (1) Naming the King's Yacht
/No one expected Victoria Eugiene of Battenburg to become Queen of Spain - but when King Alfonso turns on his charm - it's hard to resist.
2.38 Missy of Edinburgh (6) Living in memory of the past
/We’re back with Missy, with the final chapter of her story. We see her live through some of the most tumultuous times in the Kingdom of Romania’s short history.
CHAT: Ellen Alpsten on Tsarina
/I chat with Ellen Alpstein about her amazing new book Tsarina, the story of how a peasant girl from the Baltic became the first female ruler of Russia.
How to get Tsarina
UK
Get your hardback here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/tsarina/ellen-alpsten/9781526606419
ebook here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tsarina-Ellen-Alpsten-ebook/dp/B0844W5YWJ/
USA
Get your hardback here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250214430
2.37 Missy of Edinburgh (5) Mother-in-law of the Balkans
/Missy finally crowned as queen and begins to marry her children off across Europe - but her eldest son would continue to be a thorn in her side.
2.36 Missy of Edinburgh (4) The only man in Romania
/After pushing Romania into World War I, Missy discovers that taking on the Central Powers was somewhat harder than she had imagined.
2.35 Missy of Edinburgh (3) Queen at last
/With war on the horizon, King Carol will prepare Romania for the succession, identifying Missy as one of the future leaders of this proud new nation-state.