War Queens

From the cockpit to the halls of command, women in the military have fought, served, and led with courage—pushing the limits, breaking boundaries, and making history.

Join us as we dive deep into stories of trailblazing women—like pilot Heather “Lucky” Penney who volunteered to sacrifice herself in order to save lives on 9/11, or La’Shanda Holmes Hawkins who went from foster care to becoming the first black female helicopter pilot in the Coast Guard.

Women who have led critical operations, landed damaged airplanes, and paved the way for the next generation of warriors. Hear their stories of adrenaline, precision, and determination—and what it really takes to soar above it all. 

Valor is brought to you by e.l.f. Cosmetics. e.l.f. is making the best of beauty accessible to every eye, lip, and face while staying true to their purpose of encouraging self-expression, embodying ethics and empowering others.

If you would like to learn more about how you can help or donate to women veterans check out WoVeN, the Women's Veterans Network at wovenwomenvets.org. WoVeN’s mission is to provide a unique social network of women veterans to foster connections and build relationships in local communities and across the nation.

Emerald Audio is an imprint of Diversion Audio.

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Gender, identity, mental health, LGBTQ+ civil rights—these don’t have to be confusing, intimidating conversations. Everyone from your grandma to your best friend has an opinion on these issues, and Schuyler Bailar, the celebrated activist, author, and trailblazing transgender athlete (the first to compete in NCAA Division 1) is here for it. Each week, Dear Schuyler invites cultural movers to join him in provocative and personal conversations about how gender issues impact all of us. They include thought leaders like actress-activist Dylan Mulvaney, NCAA champion swimmer Lia Thomas, NFL Pro Bowler and Super Bowl Champion Brendon Ayanbadejo, Olympian Megan Rapino, and many others. Every episode focuses on a topical, listener-sourced question. You can submit your own question at DearSchuyler.com.

Sometimes the conversation is fun, other times it may get uncomfortable, but in the end, Schuyler and his guests give us the perspective and vocabulary to better understand each other in today’s evolving world. Would you like to better understand gender and identity? Want to explore what being an ally can really mean? However you define yourself — you’re in the right place. Dear Schuyler humanizes these conversations.

Subscribe to Diversion+ on Apple Podcasts and get every episode of Dear Schuyler ad-free! In fact, members get every podcast from Diversion Audio ad-free, plus early releases and special episodes. Try the free trial at https://apple.co/417QkGV

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Whipped, then forced to watch her daughters raped in her village center, Boudica, Celtic queen of the Iceni tribe of Britons, vowed revenge on the Romans who violated women and children. Leading a mass revolt of British peoples who had been driven from their lands by Emperor Nero’s invaders, Boudica fought three Roman legions and burned London to the ground. Cutting a swath of destruction across southern England, she chased down the main Roman army and set the stage for a battle that would echo through the ages.

Actor Nathalie Emmanuel joins father-daughter history team Jon & Emily Jordan to tell the story of Boudica.

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Queen Tomyris led her hard-riding, hard-fighting Massagetae horsemen one of the ancient world’s fiercest battles—against one of history’s greatest superpowers. Using quiet diplomacy and hardcore savagery, Queen Tomyris leads her people up against the might of the Persian Empire and its legendary founder, King Cyrus the Great. Her battle, documented by the Greek historian Herodotus, the “Father of History,” is one of the earliest recorded battles of a woman commanding armies against a king. Her fight would become the stuff of legends.

Actor Nathalie Emmanuel joins father-daughter history team Jon & Emily Jordan to tell the story of Tomyris.

Find us on social: @warqueenspodcast 

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Bride at 10, widow at 25, general, tyrant, cosmetologist, mother, countess, botanist, and war leader, Countess Caterina Sforza di Riario led the most interesting life of any woman of the Italian Renaissance. Trained to fight by a powerful Milanese warlord, she learned that a Renaissance woman’s duty is to support her husband – whether in the home, or by providing medicines to peasants during the plague, or galloping on horseback to take command of a castle. She aimed cannons from the battlements of Rome and cowed cardinals into recognizing her husband’s legal rights. She survived assassination plots, executed traitors, and fought papal armies led by the Borgia pope’s son, Cesare. Mingling with da Vinci and Botticelli, out-negotiating Machiavelli, Caterina defined the woman warrior leader of 15th century Italy.

Actor Nathalie Emmanuel joins father-daughter history team Jon & Emily Jordan to tell the story of Caterina Sforza.

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On the dust-swept steppes of Mongolia, a young woman labors to rebuild the old empire of Genghis Khan. Surviving palace intrigues and the death of her husband the khan, Queen Manduhai teams up with a young boy of noble blood to resist threats from China, Central Asia and Mongol rivals to consolidate a kingdom of nomadic horse riders. War, diplomacy and marriage are the backdrop to this epic story of a wise queen who shed blood to bring peace to her people.

Actor Nathalie Emmanuel joins father-daughter history team Jon & Emily Jordan to tell the story of Manduhai.

Find us on social: @warqueenspodcast

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In a scene out of “House of the Dragon,” an elderly king appoints his young daughter to rule his medieval realm after his death. But the beautiful, pious, and wise Queen Tamar would find her claim to the Kingdom of Georgia challenged by nobles, religious leaders, courtiers, sultans—and the most annoying ex-husband in history. Waging war on her borders while setting an example of mercy and restraint, Tamar’s armies fought with sword, spear and shield to expand her kingdom and usher Georgia into its golden age of wealth, literature and stability.

Actor Nathalie Emmanuel joins father-daughter history team Jon & Emily Jordan to tell the story of Tamar.

Find us on social: @warqueenspodcast

Learn more about War Queens: diversionaudio.com/podcast/war-queens

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Queen Artemisia of Caria joins the world’s biggest empire in a legendary campaign to wipe out the rebellious cities of ancient Greece. In a council filled with men, she gives sound advice and strategic insight, which the men leading the coalition rejected. When Artemisia’s advice was not heeded, she dutifully led her fleet in the sea battle that would decide the fate of the world – and pulled off one of history’s most audacious escapes, earning the admiration of the Father of History. 

Actor Nathalie Emmanuel joins father-daughter history team Jon & Emily Jordan to tell the story of Artemisia.

Find us on social: @warqueenspodcast

Learn more about War Queens: diversionaudio.com/podcast/war-queens

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In one of history’s delicious ironies, the abused wife of a psychotic drunkard turned into a tiger who destroyed her oppressor. Catherine the Great launched a palace coup from atop a war horse and wrested the throne of Imperial Russia from her incompetent husband. For 33 years, she shepherded the world’s largest empire through a time of enlightenment and revolution, a time when French philosophies she embraced brought down monarchs and threatened her rule. Skillfully leading Russia through wars with the Ottoman Empire, Sweden, Poland, and a mob of embittered peasants, Catherine alloyed lofty principles of the Enlightenment with an iron fist. Her brilliant tactics would be studied and copied by dictators like Stalin and Putin in the 20th and 21st centuries.

Actor Nathalie Emmanuel joins father-daughter history team Jon & Emily Jordan to tell the story of Catherine the Great.

Find us on social: @warqueenspodcast

Learn more about War Queens: diversionaudio.com/podcast/war-queens

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"Margaret Thatcher takes the reins of Her Majesty’s Government and leads Britain through a time of economic depression, threats of nuclear annihilation, and political restlessness. Within months of her becoming Britain’s first woman prime minister, she faces down Irish Republican Army terrorists and stands up to Soviet communism. Her mettle meets it test of wills when Argentina launches a surprise invasion of the Falkland Islands, one of the last vestiges of the British Empire. Counseled by men to take the insult and let the islands go, Thatcher is determined to face down aggression. She sends an army to the far side of the world, through terrible winter storms, to take back a land belonging to her queen – and earns the nickname “The Iron Lady” for her courage.

Actor Nathalie Emmanuel joins father-daughter history team Jon & Emily Jordan to tell the story of Margaret Thatcher.

Find us on social: @warqueenspodcast

Learn more about War Queens: diversionaudio.com/podcast/war-queens

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