This historic survey of 22 of the most ruthless, ambitious women of all time will inspire readers at the same time as it shocks. These are sassy, brilliant, magnetic, cunning, and tough-as-nails women who defied the social mores of their eras. Each gripping story speaks for itself: from Queen Mary I who did 'what it took' to protect Catholicism in England, to Madame Mao who became one of communist China's most powerful and feared leaders, to Georgia Tann who, as a director of the Tennessee Children's Home, made millions selling babies on the black market. These anti-heroines battled against the odds and often against the status quo, succeeding in turning the power structure, if only for a short time, directly on its head. Some were cruel, others visionary, yet others blinded by ambition or love. Many were driven by a powerful combination of these and other primal forces."--Provided by publisher.