Suffragettes and the Fight for the Vote

by Sarah Ridley

This book tells the story of the campaign to get women the vote in Britain.
Beginning by looking at the role of women in the 19th Century and ending with the continuing struggle for equal rights for women in all parts of society, this is an essential read for young people aged 10 plus to understand the history of the women's movement on suffrage. It includes the suffragists' campaign. The book includes photos of key people in the campaign such as Millicent Garrett Fawcett, Emmeline Pankhurst and Emily Wilding Davison and ephemera such as force-feeding equipment, banners and medallions.

The book was long-listed for the 2017 SLA information book award. It is published ahead of 2018 - a landmark year that marks the centenary of the Representation of the People Act. This finally gave the vote to some women for the first time (women over 30, who owned property) and also gave the vote to all men (up until then, only about two-thirds of men had the vote). The Houses of Parliament are celebrating this centenary with their 'Vote 100' project. 2018 will also be the 90th anniversary of women gaining full voting equality with men in 1928.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

48 pages, Hardcover

First published July 17, 2018

About the author

Born in Suffolk, Sarah Ridley lives on the Suffolk/Essex border and is a writer and editor of educational books for children and young people. Recently, a life-long interest in history has led her to write books about the First World War, inspired by reading letters written by soldiers who served in the conflict. Brothers at War tells the story of uncovering the material held in her own family's archives. Dear Jelly sets letters written by soldier brothers to their younger sisters at its core. Teenage children keep Sarah busy when she isn't tied to her computer, and she relaxes by walking along river estuaries close to her home.

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, factual, and thankfully generally educationally straight-forward and unemotional (although sometimes perhaps a trifle overly narrationally and informationally dense for the intended age group, for older children from about the ages of nine to twelve or so), but truth be told, Sarah Ridley's Suffragettes and the Fight for the Vote is also both suitable and indeed glowingly recommended to and for interested adults who might desire a relatively condensed and basic but still always and generally detailed and textually "meaty" enough introduction to the history of the struggles for women to obtain the basic human right of being allowed to vote in political elections both at the local and the national levels (in the United Kingdom). And Suffragettes and the Fight for the Vote therefore presents and features a for the most part readable and above all also well and intensely, meticulously researched and organised marriage of Sarah Ridley's non-fiction text and accompanying photographs and illustrations, including a number of rather telling and interesting, but also ridiculously nasty caricatures of suffragettes, of women who dared to demand the right to vote, who dared to demand equal rights as men (which in my opinion certainly does show for one how scared and hysterically frightened many men and in particular many politicians were of even considering granting women the right to vote and for two how that same encountered all-round male dominated negativity might actually have also been one of the main reasons that some women's rights organisations started to become increasingly impatient and to promote not only verbally demanding the right to vote but also began to react with violence and increasingly destructive acts of civil disobedience, with acts of vandalism, physical assault and the like, although according to the author, the activists supposedly did try to make sure that especially and in particular if they set arson fires, that the buildings being targeted were empty of people and animals, although I for one doubt that this could have been even all that easily verified to the extent necessary to make sure that no lives were in danger).

And with said latter fact in mind, while I am on an intellectual and entirely academic level quite appreciative of the fact that the author's, that Sarah Ridley's presented narrative is by in-large striving with Suffragettes and the Fight for the Vote to simply show and feature the main movers and shakers of the United Kingdom women's suffrage movement without too much analysis and personal interpretation (and yes, that Sarah Ridley also portrays not only the women who tirelessly fought for voting rights for ALL, gender notwithstanding, but also does point out some of the men who were equally in favour of votes for women) I still and definitely would have liked and even rather wanted a bit more comparison and contrast with regard to the more radical (and violence, acts of anarchic vandalism supporting) suffrage societies such as the WSPU to other groups that were as committed to women obtaining the right to vote but absolutely rejected violence as a means to obtain this end (not to mention that especially Emmeline Pankhurst obviously tended to show some rather dictatorial tendencies as leader of the WSPU, often categorically ejecting any members who dared to criticise her leadership and in particular those individuals who in any manner questioned the promotion, enabling and support of violence and vandalism). And finally, on an entirely emotional (and personal) level, that whole scenario, that episode during Derby Day, 1913, when Emily Wilding Davison killed herself by stepping in front of King George V's horse Anmer, well sorry, I for one have NEVER seen her behaviour as in any way even remotely laudable (or martyr-like) as she could with and by her behaviour have so easily caused serious injury and perhaps even death to either Anmer or the jockey astride of him (and frankly, and with my apologies to those of you who actually might indeed think that Emily Wilding Davison acted justifiably and correctly, and with that I mean to say supportively of women's rights, it is in my humble opinion very lucky that it was only she who ended up gravely injured and later dead, as her foolishness could so easily have killed that poor horse, and as a horse enthusiast, that is something I just cannot and will not accept, not to mention that if Anmer had spooked and run into the crowd of spectators in a panic, there could easily and even likely have been massive injuries, and all caused, all the fault of Emily Wilding Davison).

Three full and indeed very glowing stars for Suffragettes and the Fight for the Vote! And while from and on a thematic and informational point of view, the book most definitely is a wonderful and educational introduction to the history and the struggle for women's suffrage in the United Kingdom, I just cannot and will not with a clear conscience give four stars to a one hundred percent non fiction history book that does neither include source acknowledgments nor any suggestions for further study and reading, as this absolutely does majorly infuriate academically oriented me and also totally lessens the supplemental research, the teaching and learning potential and value of Suffragettes and the Fight for the Vote (not to mention that I actually have quite a bit of trouble even understanding why Sarah Ridley has NOT included bibliographical information in this otherwise so excellent and enlightening book).

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book if you're new to the topic. It's not too heavy, and is simple and easy to understand. It is also filled with helpful pictures. It was nice to read that the author has a personal connection to this topic too. I recommend!

[Jbondandrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly good book but Adela Pankhurst was left out and there needed to be more about the women who participated from other countries.