Women of Steel cover art

Women of Steel

The Feisty Factory Sisters Who Helped Win the War

 Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

£5.99/mo after trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options

Women of Steel

By: Michelle Rawlins
Narrated by: Sarah Durham
Try for £0.00

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £14.35

Buy Now for £14.35

About this listen

 True stories of love and loss during WWII from a band of tough Northern women.

When war broke out, the young women of Sheffield had their carefree lives turned upside down. With their sweethearts being sent away to fight, they had no choice but to step into the men's shoes and became the backbone of the city's steel industry. Through hard toil and companionship in the gruelling world of factory work, they vowed to keep the foundry fires burning and ensured that soldiers had the weapons, planes and ships needed to secure victory over Hitler.

Women of Steel is the last chance to hear these unsung heroines' voices, as they share first-hand how a group of plucky young women rallied together to win the war for Britain. When the men returned from the front in 1945, many of these women tragically found themselves discarded 'like yesterday's fish and chip wrappers'. But decades later, a grassroots campaign spearheaded by the elderly Women of Steel finally brought their remarkable story to light.

(P) 2020 Headline Publishing Group Ltd©2020 Michelle Rawlins Military Women War

Critic reviews

A brilliant book of true stories of love and loss during WWII from the tough northern women who kept the foundry fires burning.
Stories of the unsung WWII heroines who took up jobs in the factories that kept the country running and built the weapons that beat Hitler are told... author Michelle Rawlins interviewed some of the last surviving women - many now in their 90s or 100s - who dropped everything to support the war effort.
This blend of memoir and history, that comes complete with gorgeous wartime romance stories, celebrates a heroic generation.
A worthy tribute to incredible grit
A profoundly moving blend of fascinating social history and personal memoirs.
Inspiring.
Celebrates the amazing stories of Sheffield's Women of Steel and their incredible working lives during two world wars.
All stars
Most relevant
Nice to relate to Sheffield history.
Beautiful, happy & emotional stories from beautiful strong woman of Sheffield

Touching story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
brilliant, well read and truly amazing account of what these heroes endured , God bless all

heroes one and all why one earth it took so long

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
my aunt florence and my mum elsie are both in this book and it has been a heart wrenching reminder of my childhood. i used to play on the spare ground where the 4 houses once stood in mountain street. i’m happy to say they are both still alive in 2023, 100 and 98 and still going. i noticed a lot of these women survived until their 90’s. they were made of strong stuff - made of steel.

fabulous look at the women of steel

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.