Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice is a medieval historian and chair of the Department of History at the College of Charleston. She has contributed to The Encyclopedia of Warfare, Fighting Techniques of the Medieval World, Battles of the Medieval World, Battles of the Crusades, and is the author of The Timeline of Medieval Warfare and Medieval Knight.

Queens ranges from the ancient world to the present day, telling the stories of women who ruled, from murderous former courtesan Wu Zetian in seventh-century China to Elizabeth I, England's "Virgin Queen". In a world historically dominated by male rulers, the women who sat on thrones of their own shine brightly. Some queens and empresses were born to greatness, while others fought their way to power. Carefully researched, superbly entertaining, and illustrated throughout, Queens highlights the true personalities and real lives of the women who became monarchs and empresses.