There are as many bloody incredible women in history as there are men. That is fact.
From the blurb:
'Based on the popular Twitter series of the same name, 'Bygone Badass Broads' features 52 remarkable and forgotten trailblazing women from all over the world.'
'Bygone Badass Broads' contains the bios of yet more women I wish I'd heard of earlier, and am beyond angry that they are not being talked about and taught in schools, not even in universities with history majors.
Mackenzie Lee, of 'The Gentleman's Guide' and 'The Lady's Guide' fame, is clearly passionate about her work. This history project is certainly one of the funnier, more entertaining modern books about ignored and forgotten landmark historical females. Lee is hilarious and clever.
'Bygone Badass Broads' is of the millennial pop culture and internet generation (references to pop culture are galore throughout), but it comes across as refreshing and understanding instead of pandering, and it is nonetheless informative, well researched, and vital.
Lovely, colourful portraits done by Petra Eriksson as well.
My favourites out of the 52 badass broads included are:
Arawelo, queen of Somalia and the matriarchy.
Mochizuki Chiyome, the 16th century widow who trained other widows and orphans to become ninjas.
Ana Lezama de Urinza and Eustaquia de Sonza, Peruvian vigilantes and lovers (I'll never get tired of their story).
Margaret Cavendish, the Englishwoman who wrote the first science fiction novel, and who was apparently one of the first pop culture and cosplay geeks (I could tell that Lee had tremendous fun writing about her).
King Christina of Sweden of the 17th century (hot damn!).
Julie d'Aubigny, aka La Maupin, of 17th-18th century France (double hot damn! A bisexual, nun-seducing, rabble-rousing, crossdressing, thieving, dueling, sword swinging, opera singing, shouty, and all-around flashy Frenchwoman! Where the hell is she in films?!).
Anne Lister of 18th-19th century England, the first overt modern lesbian (she even married a woman, if not officially).
Friederike "Marm" Mandelbaum of the 19th century US, criminal mastermind and businesswoman who would have made any Godfather kneel before her.
US former slave Stagecoach Mary Fields of the 18th-19th century, a fearless woman with multiple careers in her resume who literally shot a guy in the arse.
The massively successful, 19th century US, mixed race spy team Mary Bowser and Bet Van Lew, honoured by the president.
19th-20th century US doctor Clelia Duel Mosher, who was the first to take women's health seriously and into consideration, not to mention the first to even acknowledge that women can enjoy sex as much as men (a sex positive icon, and a wonderful, nice person).
Edith Garrud of 19th-20th century England, the Jujitsu suffragette (literally, she was a suffragette who did martial arts and taught other suffragettes martial arts, though she was still white).
Alice Ball of 19th-20th century America, a black chemist who practically cured leprosy.
Dorothy Arzner, one of the first female Hollywood directors, who helped launch many stars' careers, including Kathleen Hepburn, Joan Crawford, Lucile Ball, and Francis Ford Coppola, and she was a lesbian (she romanced many women, including Billie Burke of 'The Wizard of Oz' fame).
Nwanyeruwa, the Nigerian marcher of black women's rights in the 20th century during the Great Depression.
Mariya Oktyabrskaya, a war widow who destroyed Nazis in her own tank called Fighting Girlfriend.
Irena Sendler, the rescuer of Jewish children in Poland during the second world war, who escaped a firing squad and lived to be ninety-eight- a true hero and ally.
Ursula Nordstrom, the publisher of "good books for bad children", and one of the originators of HarperCollins, who didn't believe in censoring anything from children, and believed in telling them the truth about the world (she helped out Maurice Sendak a lot).
Elvira de la Fuente Chaudoir, a Peruvian bisexual playgirl, gambler, drinker, and MI6 spy, and a loud, boisterous, unstoppable force of nature - now why hasn't there been a Hollywood film about HER yet?!
Fanny Blankers-Koen of the Netherlands, the fastest woman athlete in history.
Kumander Liwayway (Commander Dawn), real name Remedios Gomez-Paraiso, of the Philippines, a rich, primadonna mayor's daughter who lead the Huk Rebellion in her signature red lipstick - a battling badass unafraid to express her femininity, and to show how it is not a weakness.
Angela Morley, transgender music conductor and composer of many famous film and TV scores ('Dallas', 'Wonder Woman', etc), including collaborating with John Williams on Darth Vader's Imperial March theme.
And last but absolutely not least, the Mirabal sisters, Patria, Dede, Minerva and Maria Teresa, of the Dominican Republic, who stood up to tyranny, dictatorship and extreme government abuse of power. Their legacy and sacrifice shall not be forgotten.
Heroes, every one.
I also learned from this book that lesbianism in the 17th century onward wasn't taken seriously in society, unless one of the women involved was wearing men's clothing, then it becomes a scandal. That is all kinds of messed up.
So entertaining! Each women's story is as exciting and invigorating as any Hollywood blockbuster. Whoever the fuck said that women didn't do much in the past can go straight to hell.
The only thing I find worth criticizing in 'Bygone Badass Broads' is how Lee talks about Angela Morley's transgender identity. She reveals her deadname, and implies that her transition was a choice. It is rather uncomfortable to read about, and in a book otherwise so woke and aware culturally of issues such as race, sex and sexuality, enthusiastically so.
But other than that, 'Bygone Badass Broads: 52 Forgotten Women Who Changed the World' - highly recommended.
Final Score: 5/5
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