2023 EDIT: Part of my 2023 clear-up, of books I no longer like, or am no longer interested in, or remember well as standing out, or find as special anymore, or I otherwise will not miss.
Final Score: 3.5/5
Original Review:
Another exceptional book about forgotten and erased women in history to come out recently. Most needed and appreciated.
I especially loved learning about the Sikh hero Mai Bhago; the 19th-20th century transgender brothel madam Lucy Hicks Anderson; Mother of the Children and education and Al-Qarawiyin Fatima al-Fihri; the 18th century Qing Dynasty poet and astronomer Wang Zhenyi; the black human computer to help launch men into space Annie Easley; the ruthless and terrible Spanish queen Isabel I; the Cantonese pirate queen and the most successful pirate of all time Ching Shih; the "Godmother" and American mobster and drug queen Griselda Blanco; early 20th century filmmaker Lois Weber; African-American artist Elizabeth Catlett; the unmatched badass 13th century Mongolian princess Khutulun; the oh-hell-yes 17th century Potosi vigilante partners and lovers Ana de Urinza and Eustaquia de Sonza; early 20th century undefeated wrestler and bodybuilder Kati Sandwina (a real life Wonder Woman); and the baseball player Jackie Mitchell, who struck out both Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Of course she was discredited for it and called a fraud because she was a girl.
Yes, the 'Relentless Amazons' section is a damn exciting, inspirational and liberating read.
To hell with what is considered "feminine" and "masculine". Admire (or just pay attention to) a woman's actions and words, not her looks.
Films need to be made about these historical heroines, scholars, leaders, giantesses and villainesses. Seriously, get on with it now, Hollywood, or preferable anyone else. No excuses.
Featuring very nice sketched portraits to go with the abridged versions of their stories, and some brilliant quotes and feminist commentary, 'History vs Women: The Defiant Lives that They Don't Want You to Know' comes recommended by me. It can be read in one cosy afternoon. Huge props for the recommendation of Jason Porath's 'Rejected Princesses' in the acknowledgements as well!
The authors admit in the afterword that they wanted to include more amazing women in 'History vs Women', and be as diverse as possible, which wasn't easy due to deadlines and the scant research they could find on these complex women's lives, not just their achievements. So maybe there will be a volume 2, if this book is successful enough. I hope it will be.
Everybody, girls, boys, young, old, anyone and anyone outside of the binary, should be reading books like this, for the sake of the human race.
You can learn so much about women if you only listen to them and pay attention. We'd be nothing without them; without their "rebelling" and fight to be seen as equals to men. No one can keep any girl down. They're people, not to be placed in any box. Not to be limited and made small and submissive by men.
History and liberation for women across generations! Progress, freedom and respect for women!
Final Score: 5/5
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