Author Spotlight: Susan Abernethy
Let's learn more about a recent writer for Medieval World: Culture & Conflict - Susan Abernethy. She has authored a theme article in issue 13, titled "Isabella and Ferdinand: Cultural, Religious, and Dynastic Legacies" ( pp. 36-39). In this blog, Susan shares with us her passion for medieval and early modern history!
My interest in history was sparked as a teenager after watching the TV program The Six Wives of Henry VIII. This led to studying for a degree in history from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Retiring after a twenty-five-year career in the mortgage business, I engaged in my true passion to write about history and started a blog in 2012 called The Freelance History Writer, with an emphasis on European, Tudor, medieval, Renaissance, Early Modern and Women’s history.
The last few years have been dedicated to writing my first book, Charles II’s Portuguese Queen: The Legacy of Catherine of Braganza, which will be published in April 2025 by Pen and Sword Books. My current project is a collection of biographies of royal and aristocratic women in the age of the Valois Dukes of Burgundy. There are so many fascinating stories about the wives, daughters, nieces and granddaughters of the four French dukes who carved out an empire for themselves. They could not have done it without these women. This volume is completed and will be published in the fall of 2025.
In all the research and reading done for the blog and the books over the years, I have discovered many strong and capable women. Sharon L. Jansen’s book, The Monstrous Regiment of Women: Female Rulers in Early Modern Europe has opened my eyes when reading history, creating a completely different perspective. Women have played a much larger role in history, not just in the aristocratic and political sphere, but even in the lives of ordinary citizens. Another enlightening look at women’s roles can be found in Janina Ramirez’s book Femina: A New History of the Middle Ages Through the Women Written Out of It.
Several women have stood out to me in my research. Anne de Beaujeu, daughter of King Louis XI of France, learned statecraft from her father and capably ruled France for several years as regent for her brother Charles VIII. She went head to head with the French nobles and her rival, Louis, Duke of Orléans, and prevailed. Margaret of Austria deserves much admiration. Because of her three marriages, she traveled all over Europe and learned statecraft from some of the finest female rulers, such as Anne de Beaujeu and Queen Isabel of Castile. She used her knowledge and successfully governed the Netherlands as regent for her nephew, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, for several years.
Perhaps my most favorite woman is Catherine of Burgundy, a little known but surprisingly effective agent for her brother John the Fearless, and her nephew Philip the Good. Married to the Duke of Austria at a young age, she established an empire for herself in Alsace, acting as regent for the dukes of Burgundy but also operating as a ruler in her own right. She also made a secret marriage for herself, to the consternation of her family. It is the lives of these women that fuel my passion for history.
