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In Our Time: Memoir of a Revolution
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Male-only admissions policies. Back-alley abortions. The pervasive belief that rape was a woman's fault. These were the shocking conditions that stirred students, mothers, businesswomen, and grandmothers to activism in the latter half of the twentieth century. In this stirring memoir, Susan Brownmiller, feminist activist and author of the landmark work on rape, Against Our
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Showing 1-30
I had trouble with the very beginning of Brownmiller's memoir. But I have to say I'm glad I stuck with it. Brownmiller's work is an essential read for any young feminist or person wanting to understand 2nd wave Women's Movement in the 1960's and 70's. She paints a world I never grew up in--a world without access to birth control, abortion rights, protection from sexual harassment or sexual expression, rape crisis centers, or job opportunities for women that existed beyond teacher or secretary. I
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A very comprehensive memoir detailing the second wave of feminism, from its radical start protesting the 1968 Miss America pageant to its demise in the 1980s due to infighting and clashing ideologies.
The book was surprisingly easy to follow, even though it covered many events and discussed hundreds of individual women (and some men) who helped change the course of history.
Topics include abortion rights, lesbianism, rape, sexual harassment, pornography and gender discrimin ...more
The book was surprisingly easy to follow, even though it covered many events and discussed hundreds of individual women (and some men) who helped change the course of history.
Topics include abortion rights, lesbianism, rape, sexual harassment, pornography and gender discrimin ...more
A narrative description of the 2nd wave feminist movement (roughly the '60s and '70s), from the perspective of a prominent white feminist. There are almost certainly gaps in what this book can provide, but it was potent, especially when Brownmiller was discussing the early days before too much structure jumped into the mix. Above all, Brownmiller is able to weave subtle themes throughout the book about some of the challenges that the movement faced; a distrust of acknowledgement being a major on
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I almost always enjoy memoirs of partisans, people who were involved in movements, and this is no exception. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of all her assertions about others (I'm sure there are always bad feelings and people remember things different) but this is an enjoyable read that puts you inside the early second wave feminist movement.
An engaging memoir of Women's Liberation. I greatly augmented my list of books to read throughout reading this book from a number of works Brownmiller mentions.
I read most of this book on my commute to and from school. It is written clearly and organized in such a way that it was easy to put down and pick up. a few times a day and be able to stay involved.
I read most of this book on my commute to and from school. It is written clearly and organized in such a way that it was easy to put down and pick up. a few times a day and be able to stay involved.
Mar 05, 2007
colleen
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
anyone interested in feminism or history
Shelves:
nonfiction,
feminism
a great piece of history detailing the revival of the feminist movement in the late '60s and '70s. some of the names are still familiar today, and it's scary how we seem to be treading the same ground.
This book changed my life and the way I think about myself, my friends, my career and my future. It helped me find my voice.
Sep 23, 2008
Ciara
rated it
liked it
Recommends it for:
feminists, those alienated from their political communities, feminist historians, lady reporters
i remember the first time i read this book, which was shortly after it was released (2003-ish?), i really, really loved it. you know, due to my whole fascination with feminist-y memoirs from the era of the 1960s. i mean, in that respect, it's like this book was tailor-made to satisfy my interests. susan brownmiller was heavily involved in the second wave of the feminist movement. she wrote against our will, one of the first major feminist works about rape, & helped bring awareness to the issue of
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I struggled with how to rate this book. I enjoyed learning about various pieces of the feminist movement, which I hadn't learned much about before. I know that a lot of the things the women profiled in this book fought for have directly benefited me, and I'm fortunate to live in this era. That being said, I felt like I would have enjoyed the book more had there been more of a unifying narrative. There were a LOT of details, some seeming unnecessary, and a lot of the chapters seemed to be more of
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More like 3.5 stars but rounding up due to the importance of the history and the massive amount of work that went into researching.
Very comprehensive history of 2nd wave feminist movement. Many figures to remember which made it a bit confusing; it felt like sometimes the author forgot to remind us these women's contexts from previous parts of the book and then later in a subsequent piece, remembered to reminded us. However, still giving 4 stars for the massive undertaking to put these stories t ...more
Very comprehensive history of 2nd wave feminist movement. Many figures to remember which made it a bit confusing; it felt like sometimes the author forgot to remind us these women's contexts from previous parts of the book and then later in a subsequent piece, remembered to reminded us. However, still giving 4 stars for the massive undertaking to put these stories t ...more
This was interesting as an overview, and it was fascinating (and frankly disheartening) to read about how all of the infighting (clearly not limited to feminism- a cautionary tale in general!) worked against the movement, even while at times bringing important concerns to the table. I was reminded of another book I am reading about the Spanish Civil War and the different factions on the left that continually got in each other's way (or worse.) Yet at the same time it is an inspiring read, and so
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Excellent history of second wave feminism. "Whereas first-wave feminism focused mainly on suffrage and overturning legal obstacles to gender equality (e.g., voting rights and property rights), second-wave feminism broadened the debate to a wide range of issues: sexuality, family, the workplace, reproductive rights, de facto inequalities, and official legal inequalities.[1] Second-wave feminism also drew attention to domestic violence and marital rape issues, establishment of rape crisis and batt
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This is definitely one that should be read in addition to other feminist movement biographies and histories. Brownmiller is comprehensive, but I think everyone involved personally in a moment in history like this has both an interesting viewpoint and possibly inflated view of their own importance tob the whole. She also came down on what I see as the wrong side of several issues, like antipornography, she's rather intent on defending, but I get that need to tell your side of the story and the hi
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Provides a lot of fascinating detail about the Women's Liberation Movements in the U.S., from the '60s through the '80s. Drifts between autobiographical and merely historical. Some overlap in content with Phyllis Chesler's A Politically Incorrect Feminist, though Brownmiller's book is significantly longer (and drier). Definitely worth a read if you're interested in the history of American feminism.
Overall I found this book disappointing. Not so much due to the topics covered, but I didn't really think it was a memoir. Rape, abortion and battery were some of the hard topics covered, along with women and the media; the basis or beginnings of feminism and feminist authors. The whole era of this feminist movement can be summed up by the authors own words "suffered from burnout and divisive internal struggles stemming from the usual problems endemic to all movements for social change - theoret
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Fascinating when viewed as a memoir, which excuses some of the author's descriptions of the personality flaws of other activists (and herself). At first, I kept thinking of how it would feel to read the book as one of the women described as difficult in one way or another.
I was especially interested in actions taken while I was still in high school. For example, I had no idea that as late as 1970 "unescorted" (by men) women were not allowed into establishments like the Russian Tea Room...not ev ...more
I was especially interested in actions taken while I was still in high school. For example, I had no idea that as late as 1970 "unescorted" (by men) women were not allowed into establishments like the Russian Tea Room...not ev ...more
There were way too many names in this book, of people I don't know anything about. Some I learned about, but many I didn't, and I found myself wondering if she's mostly just trying not to piss people off by leaving them out. A daunting task for sure.
I don't know if this is the best book that could have been written on the topic, it's certainly not perfect, but I really appreciated it in so many ways. I was born in 1968, pretty much alongside second wave feminism. I sort of took it fo ...more
I don't know if this is the best book that could have been written on the topic, it's certainly not perfect, but I really appreciated it in so many ways. I was born in 1968, pretty much alongside second wave feminism. I sort of took it fo ...more
I wanted to love this, due to the sheer scale of Brownmiller's legacy. Sadly I found it mostly superficial. Especially disappointing was Brownmiller's breezy dismissal of criticism of her treatment of race in Against Our Will. More than twenty years after the fact, she chose to address this only by characterizing Angela Davis's criticism in particular as having been demonizing and rigidly ideological. This tendency is not a one-off -- a similarly dismissive tone is invoked on the subject of the "femi
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Brownmiller's book is less a memoir as most people use the term than an historical account of the movement to which she devoted her life. The book offers a lot of fascinating information and detail about feminist activism of the 60s and 70s, especially how writers, journalists and those within the media became activists because of the movement they were writing about. Brownmiller defends her own positions against pornography and legal prostitution that many feminists will now take issue with wit
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I highly recommend this book for any modern feminists. I personally found it very interesting to see Brownmiller's perspective throughout the rise of second-wave feminism (especially as an American student that got effectively no information on feminism in history class past, "And then the women got to vote."). That being said, it is a memoir, so if you're new to memoirs, really give yourself some time to read it through. It took me about a month reading a few hours a week to get through it, and
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Definitely more of a memoir than a history since it comes from her personal experience in the movement. But, a solid good introduction to/overview of the topic.
While I read this book, I kept in mind the students who read this in the Allegheny College class my Mom took recently probably couldn't imagine the way things were in the 1960s and even 70s -what rights women take for granted now that were dreams back then.
While I read this book, I kept in mind the students who read this in the Allegheny College class my Mom took recently probably couldn't imagine the way things were in the 1960s and even 70s -what rights women take for granted now that were dreams back then.
This book said "brickbats" more than any other book I've ever read. I'm not sure people who didn't already have some sense of who the people involved were would enjoy the book much, but I'm glad I read it. Despite how defensive she is about not being anti-lesbian, Brownmiller really seemed a little uncomfortable with lesbians. Weird.
Brownmiller's book certainly does provide a fascinating history of the women's movement's early days. It is wonderful to learn the details of who first said certain slogans we all know so well now. In this respect, the book is strong on detail, fun and enjoyable. However, I felt the novel tended to name drop on to many ocassions that causes confusion for the reader.
I actually really liked this book. But then again, that was before I went and got myself a secondary degree in gender studies. With this new armor of intellect, I bet I'd find Brownmiller's account of so-called second wave feminism riddled with hetero-classist tendencies. Ahhh, how I long for my innocent and unbridled feminism.
this is a book about the contributions of white affluent second-wave of feminists, written by a woman who is racist and homophobic. while it is informative in some aspects, I do not recommend this book. there are better accounts by more worthy authors.
A history of the feminist movement in the late sixties and seventies by someone on the inside of much of the important things that happened. A good reminder of how far women had to come and how much they had to overcome to be treated as people.
Apr 07, 2008
Laurie
added it
As I have not taken a womens studies class or anything of the sort, this is a great introduction to the women's lib movement. It is well-organized gives cred to those involved, so it is a easy jumping off point to reserach names and events
Memoir of a movement. Problematic POV, handwaving issues that are being tackled by 3rd wave & beyond. Oddly self-congratulatory and self-aggrandizing.
trade paper
I was so hopeful for this book but it just ended up making me sad. Can't we (feminists) all just get along?
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Susan Brownmiller is an American feminist journalist, author, and activist best known for her 1975 book Against Our Will: Men, Women, and Rape.
Brownmiller also participated in civil rights activism, joining CORE and SNCC during the sit-in movement and volunteering for Freedom Summer in 1964, wherein she worked on voter registration in Meridian, Mississippi. Returning to New York, she b ...more
Brownmiller also participated in civil rights activism, joining CORE and SNCC during the sit-in movement and volunteering for Freedom Summer in 1964, wherein she worked on voter registration in Meridian, Mississippi. Returning to New York, she b ...more
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“WITCH. The useful acronym stood for Women’s International Terrorist Conspiracy from Hell, but it could also mean Women Inspired to Tell their Collective History, Women Interested in Toppling Consumer Holidays, and a host of imaginative variations. Proclaiming that witches were the original female rebels, hounded, persecuted, and burned at the stake because they had knowledge that men wanted suppressed, WITCH devoted itself to hit-and-run guerrilla theater, called “zaps.”
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“believe lesbian feminists, the angriest of the angry, initially saw unwanted sexual attention by men with greater clarity than their heterosexual sisters and were less of a mind to be persuaded that it was vaguely complimentary or basically trivial. And black women, emerging from a history of slavery, segregation, job discrimination, and sexual abuse, were fighting mad. Doors were beginning to open for them, and then, bam, the same old story, opportunity turning to ashes. The success of race discrimination complaints during this time may have encouraged women of color to pursue their rights in cases of sexual harassment.”
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