Women Our History

by D.K. Publishing

Re-examining history from a female perspective, this book celebrates the numerous important roles women have played in culture and society that are less often told.

Packed full of evocative images, this gloriously illustrated book reveals the key events in women's history - from early matriarchal societies through women's suffrage, the Suffragette movement, 20th-century feminism and gender politics, to recent movements such as #MeToo and International Women's Day - and the key role women have had in shaping our past.

Learn about the everyday lives of women through the ages as well as the big ?names of women's history - powerful, inspirational, and trailblazing women such as Cleopatra, Florence Nightingale, Emmeline Pankhurst, Eva Peron, and Rosa Parks - and discover the unsung contributions of lesser-known women who have changed the world, and the "forgotten" events of women's history.

Placing women firmly centre stage, Women - Our History shows women where they have come from, and, in celebrating the achievements of women of the past offers positive role models for women of today

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Feminism

320 pages, Hardcover

Published February 7, 2019

About the author

Dorling Kindersley (DK) is a British multinational publishing company specializing in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 62 languages. It is part of Penguin Random House, a consumer publishing company jointly owned by Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA and Pearson PLC. Bertelsmann owns 53% of the company and Pearson owns 47%.

Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.

Source: Wikipedia.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative. Great, broad overview of women's history.

[Tim Roast · Rating 4 out of 5]

First thing to say is that I was fooled into getting this book. I had a quick look at the cover and saw the name Lucy Worsley in big letters on it. Knowing her from her TV work I thought I’d get the book. If I’d taken a closer look I would have seen the small writing on the cover above her name that said “Foreword by”.

Really this book is by many consultants and contributors with many different sections split across 6 chapters, from The Birth of the Patriarchy” (covering the period up to 600CE) through to “Smashing the Glass Ceiling” (covering 1960 through to the present day).

The aim of the book is to tell the story that wasn’t always told, women through history. “No longer buried in the footnotes, it’s time for history’s women to step into the centre stage.” And it does this with many women getting mentions. For example Cleopatra, Rosa Parks and Mother Teresa are all here as you’d expect, but also many, many more unknown women. However they are just mentions as the scope of the book is to whizz through history (and not just limited to one part of the world but across the world as a whole) so further research may be required.

The book also covers the wider issues faced by women in different eras and societies. This includes things like marriage, divorce, voting rights, inheritance, work, birth control and so on.

Along the way there is plenty of historical evidence to go along with the text. Colour photos of artefacts or art pieces feature. But more recent bits and pieces also feature such as pictures of film posters and quotes from the likes of Beyoncé and Caitlin Moran.

The audience of this book is for adults and children alike, although with caution. It is arranged across a full colour, coffee table book with small sections, normally covering a double page spread, making it in the style of a children’s reference book and it could easily be put into the children’s sections by librarians. However the textual content is not dumbed down in any way and does include many a reference to things like sexual violence and prostitution. It may be that a child never comes across these parts depending on which bits of the book they are looking at but section headings “Through the ages: Prostitution” and “Experiences of sexuality: Sex and sexuality” make it easily possible to find bits with this in. This book therefore probably should have a PG rating.

Overall then the book is colourful and bright and informative. Being arranged in sections authored by many people it is bitty and more for reference than reading cover to cover, but there is plenty in here that is good.

[Mintaute · Rating 5 out of 5]

Puiki! Toks šiek tiek greito maisto restorano variantas, kur prabėgomis gali paskaityti po vienai temai skirtą tekstuką ir lėkti prie kitos temos, bet, nors tekstukai ir trumpi, kiekvienas jų yra labai gerai sukaltas ir paliekantis įvairių užuominų, kurias sekant galima būtų į kiekvieną temą pasigilinti labiau. O aptariamos temos tikrai labai įdomios ir apima platų spektrą moterų gyvenimo įvairiais laikotarpiais, skirtingose kultūrose, vertinant skirtingus gyvenimo aspektus. Vienas labiausiai patikusių dalykų, kad knygos sudarytojai išties įtraukė labai didelę įvairovę ir temų ir pačių moterų. Tai nėra pasaulio istorija, papasakota iš Vakarų kultūros žiūros taško. Tai yra pasaulio istorija, žvelgiant į moteris visame pasaulyje ir tai darant iš jų perspektyvos.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book with a broad spectrum of international topics. As one can expect from DK book, the design is attractive, with loads of images.
Most topics have 2 pages, and every 10 or so pages you get a topic that is stretched over 4 pages. Obviously, when many topics are covered and many pictures are added, there isn't space for in depth info, which can be frustrating at times. I suppose this book should be viewed as a sort of encyclopedia.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too much information crammed into one book.
The history of women deserves better.

[Gemma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like a museum in a book. Better to read it every now and then instead of in one go.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely a must read.