A History of the World in 21 Women

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A History of the World in 21 Women

By: Jenni Murray

Narrated by: Jenni Murray

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Summary

I was 10 years old when I came across Boadicea, and she became the first woman to make me realise that the designated future of a girl born in 1950 - to be sweet, domesticated, undemanding and super feminine - was not necessarily the case.

Boadicea battled the Romans. Nancy Astor fought in Parliament. Emmeline Pankhurst campaigned for female suffrage. Elizabeth Garrett Anderson became a pioneering physician in a man’s profession. Mary Quant revolutionised the fashion industry.

Britain has traditionally been defined by its conflicts, its conquests, its men and its monarchs. It’s high time that it was defined by its women. In this unique history, Jenni Murray tells the stories of 21 women who refused to succumb to the established laws of society, whose lives embodied hope and change. Famous queens, forgotten visionaries, great artists and trailblazing politicians - all pushed back boundaries and revolutionised our world. In Murray’s hands their stories are enthralling and beguiling; they have the power to inspire us once again.

Jenni MurrayJenni MurrayAudible Studios

Women

World

Inspiring

Royalty

Heartfelt

Feel-Good

Thought-Provoking

Imperialism

Social justice

Suffrage

Women World Inspiring Royalty Heartfelt Feel-Good Thought-Provoking Imperialism Social justice Suffrage

Most relevant

I would strongly recommend everyone on the planet listens to this book. There are certain individuals who should most definitely have a read (namely a couple of blokes in arguably the highest offices of power in the world, messers Trump and Putin!), but who I doubt they will ever hear of the work (sorry Jenni), and even if they did they would immediately dismiss it out of hand. However they would be missing an excellent reflection on some amazing people.

The selection is varied and covers all walks of life and all corners of the globe, but in each Jenni sees a woman who has stood out in whatever time / area she lived in. Someone who have stood up against a variety of oppressions and said no, that's not who I am, that's not what I want to do, that's not who I want to be. Not only that, but they also frequently affected change, or certainly inspired others to do so.

I watched the third episode of the latest series of Doctor Who yesterday, which in itself has caused some controversy, now having a female lead. The theme was Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat on the bus and, as a result, kick starting the civil rights movement. Looking at life now, along with so many chapters in the book, we have come a long way in our society. Race, sex, religion are all more accepted than they were 10, 50, 100, 1000 years ago. Watch the news on a daily basis though, and you will see we still have a long way to go. However, there is hope ...