A long overdue assertion on the role of women on the battlefield. This book is going straight on my daughter's bookshelf.

Dan Snow, historian, TV presenter and broadcaster

Julie Wheelwright discovers and recounts the lives of extraordinary women with a historian's craft and a storyteller's flair. Sisters in Arms shows the many faces of women in combat – from the myths of the ancient world to the headline-grabbing conflicts of today – with a scrupulous attention to their different contexts, but a common compassion for their struggles and achievements. Her fascinating subjects cease to be freaks, marvels or outliers but become part of our shared history of war, peace and change.

Boyd Tonkin, journalist and author

It is always a treat to read Julie Wheelwright. She not only uncovers neglected female warriors, but she brings their temperaments, talents, fancies, and foibles to life. While Wheelwright is sensitive to each of these women's unique circumstances, she also shows that they shared hopes and dreams for less gender-constrained worlds.

Professor Joanna Bourke, Birkbeck, University of London

Julie Wheelwright removes the shackles of gender in this powerful feminist history revealing an army of fearless unforgettable warrior women in an inspiring and passionate history of their lives.

Lisa O'Donnell, author of 'The Death of Bees' and winner of The Commonwealth book prize 2013

Sisters in Arms is an important 21st-century revision of a pioneering 20th-century work of women's history. Julie Wheelwright's lively, entertaining, and scholarly book combines elements of gender studies, popular culture, and military history in a manner that brings fresh insights to the stories of women who lived as men.

Professor George Robb, author of 'British Culture and the First World War'

A superb survey. From the Silk Roads to the trenches, Sisters in Arms brings to light a trove of fascinating and hidden histories.

Peter Moore, author of 'Endeavour' and 'The Weather Experiment'