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aqsa_ayman's review
4.0
Such a great concept!
It really felt like a journey through time, progressing from the story of a warrior to playwrights and artists and more, with much focus on the suffrage movement and politics later on.
I really enjoyed hearing the stories of these women, though my eyes glazed over more in the latter half of the book, as there were a lot of names being shared (spouses, acquaintances etc) that I probably instantly forgot.
I would have liked to hear more analysis about their influence and less of the smaller details, but I liked it when Murray shared how she learned about them and what made her choose them. In those moments it felt less like a textbook and her passion came across, especially with her closing words.
I definitely see this as a book I could revisit. I’ve seen a lot of talk about notable women the author missed out on, but she states from the start that it’s a personal list, and even then, there is still plenty of history covered and new names to learn :p
It really felt like a journey through time, progressing from the story of a warrior to playwrights and artists and more, with much focus on the suffrage movement and politics later on.
I really enjoyed hearing the stories of these women, though my eyes glazed over more in the latter half of the book, as there were a lot of names being shared (spouses, acquaintances etc) that I probably instantly forgot.
I would have liked to hear more analysis about their influence and less of the smaller details, but I liked it when Murray shared how she learned about them and what made her choose them. In those moments it felt less like a textbook and her passion came across, especially with her closing words.
I definitely see this as a book I could revisit. I’ve seen a lot of talk about notable women the author missed out on, but she states from the start that it’s a personal list, and even then, there is still plenty of history covered and new names to learn :p
ellentaylor's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting summary of 21 influential women throughout British history.
This was an enjoyable read. It gave a brief biography for each woman and her achievements. In some chapters, I would’ve liked more depth discussion of the historical context. There was a large emphasis on recent history, with most women from the past 2 centuries - this therefore didn’t have the scope I was expecting.
This was an enjoyable read. It gave a brief biography for each woman and her achievements. In some chapters, I would’ve liked more depth discussion of the historical context. There was a large emphasis on recent history, with most women from the past 2 centuries - this therefore didn’t have the scope I was expecting.
pythonesque's review against another edition
I managed to read only the chapters about Boudica and Elizabeth the First. The author claims to popularise the stories of great women in British History, but chooses dubious anecdotes to achieve her goal.
roisinmarie_'s review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
A brief, yet insightful, overview of 21 women that helped changed Britain for the better. It included women of different races and ages, across lots of different backgrounds and interests. This includes medicine, politics and fashion designing. I hadn’t heard of a few of those women before this book, so it has definitely taught me some new names that I should be more familiar with, as they have helped shape the world into a slightly better place for women.
Jenni Murray makes it clear in the afterword that it was a struggle to shout out only 21 women, and that the work of feminists is not over. An interesting book to learn the basics about a few key historical women.
Jenni Murray makes it clear in the afterword that it was a struggle to shout out only 21 women, and that the work of feminists is not over. An interesting book to learn the basics about a few key historical women.
howtobebooks's review against another edition
4.0
This would have received the full five stars of it didn't include Margaret Thatcher and play down the anti-Semitism shown by Nancy Astor. Absolutely brilliant otherwise, incredibly informative and interesting - and while I did think for a while there was a heavy influence from the Suffragette circle - I believe it was still well deserved. Hats off to Jenni Murray for bringing many of these hidden women to the forefront. And while there was a lack of women of colour, it seems to be the general standpoint for now that they too are invisible.