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This book is a compilation of sketches about famous and beautiful women, who were selected for this volume based upon their political influence exercised through their celebrity. The women profiled here run the gamut of status, beginning with sovereigns like Queen Elizabeth. After them comes those women who wielded influence via political intrigue in royal courts. Other classes of women include intellectual characters who dived into their nations' civil strife such as the Duchesses de Longueville and du Maine. Joan of Arc represents the heroine of military fame, while Lady Hamilton exemplifies the strong woman behind a 'puppet monarch'. An abridged edition of the 1904 book, this work presents a broad view of the historical roles assumed by women in shaping history. The authors of each chapter lend their own fame to that of their subjects, properly highlighting the lives of these famous women.