Women and Childbirth in the Twentieth Century

by Susan Williams

Through a detailed study of the major initiatives of the National Birthday Trust Fund, this book offers an account of aspects of women's lives that have not previously been written about. Key among these areas are the 1936 Midwives Act, abortion and the nutrition of pregnant women between the wars, the development of pain relief, and the history of the maternity movement. The book is based on previously unpublished archival material and oral testimonies.

320 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1997

About the author

Susan Williams has published widely on Africa, decolonisation and the global power shifts of the twentieth century. Her widely acclaimed book on the founding president of Botswana, Colour Bar (Penguin, 2006), recently became a major motion picture (A United Kingdom). Who Killed Hammarskjöld? (2011) triggered a fresh UN inquiry into the death of the secretary general. She is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London.