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I’m thrilled to review another virtual course on medieval women! This is my third course with Nathen Amin and Dr. Nicola Tallis, and each course has been a delight. I’ve taken The Tudors: The Creation of a Dynasty and Wars of the Roses: Power and Personalities. Nathen and Nicola are a personable and well-informed team, and I often laugh out loud while listening to their recorded lectures. Their warmth is contagious.
About Nathen Amin and Dr. Nicola Tallis
A fellow of the Royal Historical Society, Nathen Amin is the author of The House of Beaufort and Son of Prophecy. His historical expertise includes medieval history and the early Tudors. He runs the Hiraeth newsletter on Substack. I especially love Nathen’s piece on public speaking. He is the keynote speaker for Tudorcon 2026!
Dr. Nicola Tallis is the author of several books, including All the Queen’s Jewels, Crown of Blood, Uncrowned Queen, and Young Elizabeth. She runs History that Sparkles on Substack. Her areas of specialization include the 15th and 16th centuries and the history of jewelry. Nicola collaborated with HistoryExtra for a recent series on Queen Elizabeth I.
About the Course
Here is the course description:
Uncover the stories of the extraordinary women who made their voices heard in the medieval world.
Join Nathen Amin and Nicola Tallis between 24th-30th August for an epic deep dive into the lives of some of the extraordinary medieval women who navigated their own paths in a male dominated world.
As we uncover the stories of Katherine Swynford, Joan Beaufort, Cecily Neville and more, we’ll be learning about the impact these women had on their contemporaries, families and the medieval world in which they lived.
Whether you’re a history buff or have an interest in one of these medieval women, this is the course you won’t want to miss! Join us on our journey to explore the lives of the medieval women who shook the medieval world.
Quality, Delivery & Accessibility
Both Nathen and Nicola are polished and engaging presenters. Though their lectures occasionally include visuals (which are not described), these historians are most often speaking directly to the viewer. We see their faces — and their pets. While Nathen and Nicola frequently mention writing their talks, their delivery seems natural and easygoing. Nathen and Nicola opened the series with an informal discussion.
As with their previous courses, these lectures proceeded with each historian covering a unique topic. Nicola handled Katherine Swynford, the Paston women, and Cecily Neville while Nathen covered Joan Beaufort and Margaret of York. They concluded the pre-reccorded elements with a discussion and then we all participated in a Zoom Q&A.
Every lecture was compelling, but my favorites were Nicola’s lecture on Katherine Swynford and Nathen’s talk on Margaret of York. Each talk addressed the detailed historical context and nuances of these medieval lives with primary sources. I appreciated their inclusion of the Paston women, whose ample store of letters provides a glimpse into everyday medieval life. Nathen and Nicola were also generous with the live Q&A, spending 90 minutes addressing all of our questions — and debating whose pet behaved more appropriately throughout the session. They are such a fun team! And they gave me lots of recommended reading.
Up Next on My History Syllabus
Here are the historical events I’m looking forward to:
- Sep 4-11: The Rise and Fall of Catherine Howard with Claire Ridgway.
- Sep 11: Digital streaming of The Gloucester History Festival
- Sep 19-25: Inventing Anne Boleyn with Kate McCaffrey & Dr. Owen Emerson
More to Explore
Natalie Grueninger and Nicola Tallis discuss All the Queen’s Jewels on Talking Tudors:
Natalie Grueninger and Nathen Amin discuss Son of Prophecy on Talking Tudors:
On the Blink 