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Boadicea, or Boudica, queen of the Iceni, led a famous revolt against Roman rule in Britain in AD 61, sacking London, Colchester and St Albans and throwing the province into chaos. Although then defeated by the governor, Suetonius Paulinus, her rebellion sent a shock wave across the empire. Who was this woman who defied Rome? Boadicea is an account of what we know about the real woman from classical literature, written for the consumption of readers in Rome, and the archaeological evidence. It also traces her extraordinary posthumous career as the earliest famous woman in British history. Since the Renaissance she has been seen as harridan, patriot, freedom fighter and feminist, written about in plays and novels, painted and sculpted, and recruited to many causes. She remains a tragic figure of unending interest.