The Virago Book of Women and the Great War

by Joyce Marlow (Editor)

This fascinating and moving collection of women's writing on World War I draws from diaries, newspapers, letters, and memoirs from across Europe and America. The words of these women reveal a side to the war rarely seen. Familiar voices, such as those of Vera Brittain, the Pankhurst family, and Beatrice Webb, as well as those unknown, make this anthology a singular work of social history.

Genres: History, World War I, Nonfiction

432 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Born Manchester 27 December 1929. Professional actress 1949-1966. Occasional Press Officer. Professional writer 1964 onwards.
Founder member Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society and Copyright Licensing Agency. Lay member Industrial (now Employment) Tribunal panel 1977 –1990 London and Manchester. 1955 married actor Patrick Connor (1926-2008). Two sons, Nicholas born 1961, Julian 1966.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an anthology of women’s writings during the First World War edited by Joyce Marlow. It is arranged by year and is very varied, including diaries, letters, newspaper articles, extracts from novels, autobiographies and much unpublished material. It includes women nursing at the front and elsewhere, those at home, professional women, women now working for the first time because of a shortage of men as well as professional writers and journalists. Most of the material is British, but there are pieces from France, the US, Germany, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Russia. It includes women of all ages and classes, some very much in favour of the war, others very much against it. It also charts the suffragist movement and its activists over the war years and the book ends with the vote in parliament giving women the vote.
There are well known voices as you would expect, but it is the lesser and unknown voices which are most interesting. Unfortunately I now have yet another list of interesting authors on my tbr list. The diaries of Sarah MacNaughton look very interesting, as do the writings of Olive May Taylor (which seem to be impossible to find). Many of the extracts are moving; such as the Prime Minister’s wife (Margot Asquith) writing about the death of her son. The accounts of the frontline nurses are particularly powerful, as is the writings of pacifists on all sides. It is very easy to dip in and out of and the editor has provided potted biographies of many of the women.
There are gaps and this is acknowledged. It is heavily weighted towards the Allies and though this is 400 pages long, I suspect it could have been much longer. Voices from Africa and India are largely absent and would have been an interesting addition. Nevertheless it is an important source of a variety of writings about the war which are not normally in the mainstream.

[Debbie Robson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really don't know where to start except to state the obvious! This is an essential book if you are interested in how WWI affected women. And boy are there some marvellous and fascinating women featured. The book is made up of roughly chronological snippets (generally about half to one page long) from newspapers, memoirs, essays, letters home etc including the Women at Work archive held in the Imperial War Museum. There are two very good listings at the back - bibliographical and biographical and I was constantly flipping backwards and forwards as certain passages caught my eye.
My favourites are the writings of Sarah Macnaughton who died in 1916 and Enid Bagnold who writes about the insufferable upper class women who have no idea about war and the impact of it on others. Mrs C.S. Peel is wonderful for the careful and specific observations she makes about everyday life during that time and not so everyday. (She was at one stage a Fleet Street editor). And then you have Elizabeth 'Johnnie' Johnston, a WAAC who wrote very entertaining letters home to a friend. She wanted to be a writer and on Christmas morning 1918 in Rouen she requested permission to climb the tower and soon after fell to her death. You can't help but wonder what happened to her.
There is just so much to dip in and of. A newspaper article by Rebecca West, the Prime Minister's wife's account of hearing about the death of their son, Isaak Dinesen and many others. Very highly recommended.

[Nicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book containing women's experiences of the First World War. Took a while to read. Its a book that can be dipped into and still be interesting. A lot of the writers were new to me and so I was pleased to learn something new.

[Jbondandrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was interesting and quite informative.