Women on the front line, from forgotten commanders to cross-dressing soldiers

Military history is generally assumed to be a male domain. But according to Sarah Percy, author of Forgotten Warriors, this popular perception ignores hundreds of years of women on the front line. Speaking with Emily Briffett, Sarah unpicks this narrative, and considers some of the roles women have played in warfare throughout history, from formidable commanders Queen Njinga and Charlotte de La Trémoille to Dahomey’s all-female regiment.

Sarah Percy is the author of Forgotten Warriors: A History of Women on the Front Line (John Murray, 2023)