Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
9th out of 12 books
—
1 voter
Scandalous Women: The Lives and Loves of History's Most Notorious Women
by
Elizabeth Kerri Mahon (Goodreads Author)
Throughout history women have caused wars, defied the rules, and brought men to their knees. The famous and the infamous, queens, divorcées, actresses, and outlaws have created a ruckus during their lifetimes-turning heads while making waves. Scandalous Women tells the stories of the risk takers who have flouted convention, beaten the odds, and determined the course of wor...more
Paperback, 304 pages
Published
March 1st 2011
by Perigee Trade
(first published January 4th 2011)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
1,168)
I found this books quite fascinating. I would have to say about half of the women presented in this book I had already heard of and the associated fame (or perhaps infamy) each one had however; the 50% that I knew nothing about was the most interesting, entertaining, and educational part of the book.
As a male reading this book, I did not judge nor did I question the methods many of these women employed to gain the notoriety, power, and prestige they sought after. I was more amazed at how men of...more
As a male reading this book, I did not judge nor did I question the methods many of these women employed to gain the notoriety, power, and prestige they sought after. I was more amazed at how men of...more
I am going to hunt and peck from this point forward reading about women who I'm interested in or who I've never heard of before. This could be a book that one could pick up and read about a new woman from history, for a "quickie", but I think it's going to be a long time before I can't put this down soon enough. What was fun and interesting at first, isn't anymore. I thought the section about Cleopatra was interesting and the writing grabbed me. It's been downhill since there though. I thought t...more
I really liked this book a lot. It is a book full of the stories of the not-so-well-behaved women of the past, both well-known and unknown. The stories are short (5-10 pages long) and so just give the highlights of each woman's life, but the author includes a large bibliography and suggested reading list so that readers can explore these women in more detail if they choose (it has addedd quite a lot to my to-read list). The author also includes a list of films based on the lives of these women i...more
It took me a moment to become accustomed to the writer's style, but once I did, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It houses the stories of well know and not so well known women who were all special in one way or another. It is by no means a complete compilation of such women, but seems to focus on some of those who would have otherwise been lost in history's shuffle. You have everything from Journalists, Dancers, Scientists, Courtesans, Lesbians, Artists, Alcoholics, Pirates, and fanatical Hatchet...more
While this book contains several interesting tidbits of women I knew from previous books I've read or from history lessons (e.g. Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, Anna Lenowens, Amelia Earheart, etc.) it also shed some light on other women that I would love to know about.
I did not love the writing style, too many cliches and words that just didn't seem to fit. As one goodreads.com reviewer said, "Finding Eleanor of Aquitane & the word "sucks" in the same sentence finally did me in." The author sounds...more
I did not love the writing style, too many cliches and words that just didn't seem to fit. As one goodreads.com reviewer said, "Finding Eleanor of Aquitane & the word "sucks" in the same sentence finally did me in." The author sounds...more
view 1 comment
Scandalous Women: The Lives and Loves of History's Most Notorious Women" by Elizabeth Kerri Mahon is a non-fiction book dedicated to... scandalous women. Each woman is featured in a short biographical chapter.
The book is divided into seven sections. Each section is further divided into short chapters featuring a short biography of a scandalous woman.
Section 1: Warrior Queens
Cleopatra, Boudica, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Joan of Arc, Grace O'Malley
Section 2: Wayward Wives
Émi...more
The book is divided into seven sections. Each section is further divided into short chapters featuring a short biography of a scandalous woman.
Section 1: Warrior Queens
Cleopatra, Boudica, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Joan of Arc, Grace O'Malley
Section 2: Wayward Wives
Émi...more
I want so much to like this book, and at some level i do. But i couldn't get pass the language atrocity. Yes, i understand that this book is basically collection of blog writings. However, if such writing can be accepted in a blog, it cannot be accepted in a book.
The theme of this book is actually quite interesting. It delves with famous and infamous women throughout the centuries, especially when the world is still dominated by men (it still is, but to large extend women are now more powerful...more
The theme of this book is actually quite interesting. It delves with famous and infamous women throughout the centuries, especially when the world is still dominated by men (it still is, but to large extend women are now more powerful...more
I would start off by saying that I adore the premise behind this book. It provides insight into the lives of history's most, well, scandalous women. Some of them are more well known than others, but all of the stories are inspirational and humbling. The book will make you think about how much you could accomplish if you only had the nerve.
I enjoyed Mahon's laid-back style. The book is written like a blog; which is fitting since it is based on entries in her blog "Scandalous Women" on blogspot.co...more
I enjoyed Mahon's laid-back style. The book is written like a blog; which is fitting since it is based on entries in her blog "Scandalous Women" on blogspot.co...more
I loved this book! Scandalous Women is packed full of information and little known historical tidbits on the some of the most notorious and famous women in the world. Some of the women I recognized and some I didn't. My favorites ,of course, were Anne Boleyn, who I feel has been wrongly portrayed as a whore because one man said so and Grace O'Malley because I love the thought that there were lady pirates, I don't imagine that it was a life that most women would want in that era or any era, but I...more
This book proves that truth is stranger than fiction! I loved reading about women's side of history, and not just the boxed-in views of women that history books teach us. These women are real, flaws and all.
There is a broad range of historical eras represented here. Some of the women are ones that I've gobbled up stories about for years, like Cleopatra. Some women I thought I knew, like Joan of Arc, but she's turned out to be even more fascinating and inspiring than I thought. Others, I knew not...more
There is a broad range of historical eras represented here. Some of the women are ones that I've gobbled up stories about for years, like Cleopatra. Some women I thought I knew, like Joan of Arc, but she's turned out to be even more fascinating and inspiring than I thought. Others, I knew not...more
1 like · like · see review
This is a more interesting collection of famous women in history than one usually finds. Among the chapters is one on Amorous Artists which includes women I'd never heard of but who had wonderful stories. More familiar were the women in the chapter on Crusading Ladies - Carry Nation, Anne Hutchison and Ida B. Wells- Barnett. While this isn't the most complete book on scandalous women, it is a more interesting assortment and more interestingly written than many others. High school students in par...more
I wavered between r3 stars and the selected 4 stars rating. The off-beat, tongue-in-cheek writing style did not appeal to me at first. However, I grew to enjoy the book largely to the number of women biographied within its covers. The lives of some 36 women are shortly lived, celebrated and mourned. It is not a long book so there are only a handful of pages are devoted to each. It's a great "jumping off" point to learn about women you may have ever heard over (or only heard legendized) and there...more
Throughout history women have caused wars, defied the rules, and brought men to their knees. The famous and the infamous, queens, divorcées, actresses, and outlaws have created a ruckus during their lifetimes-turning heads while making waves. Scandalous Women tells the stories of the risk takers who have flouted convention, beaten the odds, and determined the course of world events.
* When Cleopatra (69 BC-30 BC) wasn't bathing in asses' milk, the last pharaoh of the Ptolemaic dynasty ruled Egypt...more
* When Cleopatra (69 BC-30 BC) wasn't bathing in asses' milk, the last pharaoh of the Ptolemaic dynasty ruled Egypt...more
Love the topic (one of the best parts of history is all the scandals of the main players). This is not particularly well written, though, and uses everyday expressions throughout. Best read as a series of short vignettes about some of history's best-known women. Another caveat: the author is not a historian, but rather one who likes history and has written a series of blogs about historical figures. She does include a partial reference list, and I hope the information in the book is accurate, bu...more
I've noticed that a lot of "Scandalous Women"'s reviews criticize among other things Elizabeth Kerri Mahon's tone and her lack of "new" information. I think that a lot of people would expect me to give this one a harsher review, because I'm usually quite critical of anything historical, fiction or non-fiction.
Here's the deal: for what it is and what it's meant to be, "Scandalous Women" largely hits the mark. If you're writing a term paper on Anne Boleyn, don't pick this one up. If you're writing...more
Here's the deal: for what it is and what it's meant to be, "Scandalous Women" largely hits the mark. If you're writing a term paper on Anne Boleyn, don't pick this one up. If you're writing...more
May 28, 2011
Amber (The Musings of ALMYBNENR)
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
100-reading-challenge-2011,
review-copies
Pirates, entertainers, rulers, intellectuals. All things that good, respectable women should not be. But what’s so fun about being conventional? Scandalous Women brings to life the herstory of thirty-five exceptional women from various times and places. Have you ever heard of Boudica? I learned about her in one of my college history classes. She was a warrior queen from Celtic Britain who led a furious rebellion against the Romans. I am sure most of you have heard of Anne Boleyn, Zelda Fitzgeral...more
Covering 36 historical figures (two combined in one chapter), some famous and some more obscure, this book is actually a compilation of extended blog entries, which also explains the relaxed and modern writing style. It serves as a good introduction to women's history with brief summaries on each historical figure and an easy-to-read writing style. It's a good book for people who don't want to get bogged down by lots of details and just want to learn the gist of each woman's life.
At the same ti...more
At the same ti...more
Feisty women are the most interesting and this book proves it. From well-known women such as Anne Boleyn, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Joan of Arc to less prominent women such as Grace O'Malley, Violet Trefusis, and Elizabeth "Babe Doe" Tabor this book gives short biographical sketches of each. Some of the information is familiar and some not so much, but all was entertaining. Reminded me of "Wild Women of History for Dummies". Lots of fun.
This is a brilliant book. It details the lives of extraordinary women throughout the ages, and does so in an informative & well-researched way. The author brings to light women that are often left out of the history books and removes the myth from those who are well-known. It is unfortunate that women are often left out of history books or relegated to myths and half-truths. Books like this are exactly what we need.
What a fun read about the lives and loves of the history's most notorious women. I really enjoyed the chapters on Cleopartra, Anne Hutchinson,Zelda Fitzgerald, Margaret Tobin Brown, Eleanor of Aquitaine and Mata Hari. The author states in the intoduction that Scandalous Women isn't history, it's herstory. Thirty-five women are represented in this book and the range and variety of their lives present the opportunity for interesting reading.
Simple and easy read about various famous (and infamous) women found throughout history. This is the perfect book to have around the house to pick up and read in fits and starts. I like the idea of my girls finding it and poking through it, realizing that they want to know more, and asking me questions about women (notorious or not) in a historical context.
I did LOVE this book and it introduced me to many women I am going to read more about. (Lola mantez,Boudica,and Grace O'Malley-to name a few.) The author does idulnce a in depth reading list at the back of the book,so if you WANT to read more...you can. The biographies of each women let you get a guise of each woman and I like how the author is witty with her jokes and translates some of stuff into morden day slang. All though, I was disappointed that some women(Pope Joan and Mary Queen of Scot...more
Nice brief bios on some of history's interesting women. A good teaser to compel you to learn more. Some of the bios were frustrating. The author doesn't always make a clear distinction between myth and reality, despite acknowledging there is conflict between the two. The Calamity Jane chapter is the strongest example of this blurring.
Still, she introduces lesser known women who played intriguing roles in our history and does so with flare.
Still, she introduces lesser known women who played intriguing roles in our history and does so with flare.
This book gives an extensive recounting of women throughout history who have impacted the lives of everyone around them. Whether they were adventurers, crusaders, artists, or lovers, they all changed the way the world viewed women and paved the way for those in coming generations. Perhaps the most interesting memoir I read dealt with Mata Hari. After years of believing she was a notorious spy, I found out it was likely she was framed and never did most of what people blamed her for. I also thoro...more
Nice historical read. I liked how these "scandalous women" were categorized--trailblazers, artists, seductresses etc. Well-written voice with a few humorous lines kept the book well paced. Covers some well-known women such as Cleopatra and Frida Kahlo; the point of these biographies, I think, is that it doesn't have to involve sex to be scandalous and notorious. It's about pushing the envelope and being a pioneer or innovator, in whatever field you may follow.
Interesting book of short bios of famous (and infamous women). I liked that it includes a few famous Coloradoans--Baby Doe Tabor and Margaret Brown. One thing I noticed as I read the book, it seems like if a woman had the courage to buck the norms of the past, she also was a little bit mentally ill.
An interesting collection of essays of "scandalous women". There were some modern references in the writing that I thought was a little out of place and essentially dates this book. Some of the women included probably weren't all that scandalous, like Amelia Earhart. Overall a fun read.
This was a really good compendium of women -- some obvious choices, but some new ones to me. I wish there had been more diversity -- no Asian, Latin American, or African women. I'd love to see a second book talking about these great women.
This is a very easy book to read. It is broken down into short chapters that cover the lives of women you may have grown up hearing about; women who were referred to as "racy". It is fun and oh so educational!
Excellent book to read. Each chapter is devoted to a historical figure from the past. Some obscure,some notorious. The type of book, you can pick up, open any chapter and enjoy the contents! Highly recommended!
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
I'm a native New Yorker, amateur historian, ardent Anglophile, and ballroom dancer. For over 15 years I was a professional actress, played virgins and vixens in everything from Shaw to Shakespeare. Although I didn’t start writing seriously until ten years ago, I’ve always been a voracious reader. I think I came out of the womb clutching a book. While other kids were writing 500 word essays in Engl...more
More about Elizabeth Kerri Mahon...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
