The world is filled with fascinating women, each with her own compelling story. Clearly, no single tome can hold all the intricate details of their collective lives. But this book, filled with profiles of striking individuals who serve as outstanding representatives of their gender, covers many of the most outstanding, influential women from around the globe. Coverage runs the gamut from queens to commoners, with a tip of the hat to those who have made their mark in the arts and sciences, in their country’s political arena, and on the world stage. Most of these women managed to flourish in the face of adversity. Some withstood opposition from outside sources, while family intrigue was a malevolent force in the lives of others. For centuries, merely being a woman was an obstacle these individuals had to overcome. Consider the case of Hatshepsut, the eldest daughter of ancient Egyptian King Thutmose I and his queen, Ahmose. After her father and half brother died, Hatshepsut was allowed to assume the role of regent only because the rightful heir, her son, was an infant. She took full advantage of the situation, essentially claiming the throne for herself while nominally coruling with her son. For a woman, Hatshepsut wielded unprecedented power. Court artists, unfamiliar with representations of a queen in such firm control, took to depicting her as a man, full beard and all. Another ruler of Egypt, Cleopatra, rose to power when she was 18 years old, coruling with her brother, Ptolemy XIII. As the eldest sibling by eight years, Cleopatra quickly became the dominant ruler, much to Ptolemy XIII’s displeasure. It did not take long for Ptolemy to forcibly remove Cleopatra from her position. The young queen did not take this coup lying down. She fled to Syria, where she promptly gathered an army and returned to confront her brother in a successful attempt to reclaim the throne.