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A History of Britain in 21 Women
A History of Britain in 21 Women | Jenni Murray
Britain has been defined by its conflicts, its conquests, its men, and its monarchs. To say that it s high time that it was defined by its women falls some way short of an understatement. Jenni Murray draws together the lives 21 women to shed light upon a variety of social, political, religious and cultural aspects of British history. In lively prose Murray reinvigorates the stories behind the names we all know and reveals the fascinating tales behind those less familiar, ultimately producing a unique history of Britain that is as long-overdue as it is absorbing. From famous queens to forgotten visionaries, and from great artists to our most influential political actors, "A History of Britain in 21 Women" is a veritable feast of page-turning history. "A History of Britain in 21 Women" will profile Boudicca, Aphra Behn, Elizabeth I (this chapter will also feature Anne Boleyn and Mary Queen of Scots), Fanny Burney, Jane Austen, Mary Wollstonecraft, Constance Markievicz, Nancy Astor, Ada Lovelace, Caroline Herschel, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, Millicent Garrett Fawcett, Emmeline Pankhurst, Gwen John, Rosalind Franklin, Ethel Smyth, Margaret Thatcher, Nicola Sturgeon, Mary Quant, Barbara Castle and Mary Somerville. "
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kaysworld1
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Pickpick

This book is a great little book I listened to it on audio.
There are some ladies in this book I don't agree with but the others it was nice to learn a bit more about them.
Last book of the readathon. @Andrew65
#superseptember #lastbook #readingthelibrary #librarybook #audiobook #readathon

TrishB I can see one on the front I don‘t agree with! (edited) 4y
Boooooks @TrishB same for me I‘m pretty sure most people round where I live hated Margaret Thatcher 😬 4y
Boooooks Looks interesting though I would like to find out more about Elizabeth I and Jane Austen and the impact they had 4y
See All 7 Comments
TrishB @Boooooks I‘m from Liverpool, there is definitely no one here that likes Thatcher! My son has a hoodie on today that says Still Hate Thatcher! 4y
kaysworld1 @TrishB the section on her is about her life and how she got started before becoming primeminister, it's interesting about who and how she got her nicknames. 4y
Andrew65 Love the sound of this book, but I hate Thatcher too. I did most of my Thatcher years in Brixton, London but last 4 years in Sunderland. Both areas had a LOT of hate for her. I was a very able child in school (always at top of each class for maths I was in) left with good O Levels and A Levels (going to same secondary school as Ken Livingstone - since demolished!) but still ended up on the dole queue! @TrishB @Boooooks (edited) 4y
Boooooks @TrishB similar here in St. Helens with our town used to be a mining town I‘m pretty sure there were a few parties when she died 😬 4y
41 likes1 stack add7 comments
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Weaponxgirl
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Pickpick

Catchup, I listened to this over an extended period and really enjoyed it. It‘s a very personal selection and was read by the author. If you like these sort of anthologies then you shall enjoy, but there isn‘t a lot of deep analysis although I did learn some new things.

scripturient I thought that the author was such a bad audiobook narrator that I actually returned this to Audible. 🙈 6y
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Moray_Reads
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Mehso-so

Murray writes with enthusiasm and in an engaging way and makes no bones that this is a very personal selection and selection is necessarily exclusive. And yet so many of these names are so obvious and these brief biographies offer little that is new and there's a lack of analysis and emphasis on conjecture and second-hand sources that makes my inner historian wince

Weaponxgirl Ive been listening to this on audio for a really long time. 6y
37 likes1 comment
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scripturient
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The hubs brought this back from the bookshop for me. 😍 Sounds intriguing and I totally love the cover.

Reviewsbylola I love that cover too. What a nice surprise! 6y
youneverarrived Fab cover! 6y
LaraReads That‘s really neat! 6y
Sarah83 So cute 😍 6y
CarolynM Just bought a copy of this too. It sounds really interesting. 6y
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i.z.booknook
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Pickpick

This was such a pleasure to read!

A few women I knew about already, a few I‘d never heard of, all their stories were intricately and engagingly told.

Murray didn‘t try to present them all as angels either, some had controversial views but all made massive social, scientific, artistic advances despite the adversity and it‘s great that they‘re starting to get more recognition.

I couldn‘t put this one down!

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i.z.booknook
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Plenty stories in here that really pack a punch.

“As a result of insisting on women‘s rights, de Gouges was guillotined on a charge of treason.”

#internationalwomensday

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i.z.booknook
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I am really really enjoying reading this for #internationalwomensday

“I do not want them to have power over men... but over themselves... it is not empire, but equality and friendship which women want.”

This book is excitingly written, I can‘t put it down and I‘m loving learning about these women who helped shape history. 💪🏻

51 likes1 stack add
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i.z.booknook
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Starting this one for #internationalwomensday 💪🏻

55 likes2 stack adds
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courtneycadey
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It‘s #internationalwomensday - i‘m marking the occasion by donating to Plan UK to help girls worldwide gain the livelihoods they deserve 👉🏻 https://plan-uk.org/donate/girls-fund-nina ❤️ and of course, also a special thank you to all the fierce females in my life!

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rachaich
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In acknowledgement of women who campaigned for the right to vote :)

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jenniferw88
Pickpick

Loved the fact that Jenni does this chronologically and it serves as a basic introduction to the women mentioned. I listened to it on Audible but it's definitely one I will purchase in the future for a physical copy. The only things I will say is that I had to skip one chapter (Margaret Thatcher) and a trigger warning in Fanny Burney's chapter (in comments as spoiler).

Overall, 5 ⭐ and a pick. @Tnovo

jenniferw88 Blood/Hospital/Surgery/Breast Cancer 7y
TrishB I would probably skip that chapter too! 7y
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jenniferw88
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Libby1 The Miracle at Speedy Motors 💙. 7y
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jenniferw88
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#tbrreadathon #statistics @Bookishlychaot1c. Number of pages is slightly more than this number but I don't have a physical copy of the tagged book - it's my Audible book!

Bambolina_81 Awesome, well done! 👍 7y
Cinfhen Nicely done 7y
Bambolina_81 Also, lover Jenni Murray 's book 😊 7y
Well-ReadNeck 🙌🏻🎉👏🏽 7y
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rockpools
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Pickpick

Covers a huge amount of ground in very little time, and makes for a good introduction to the history of women's rights in Britain.

I don't agree with all of her opinions or choices, but I'll definitely head out and learn more about the women she included, some of whom I'd never heard of; her views on some of the more well-known characters gave me pause for thought.

A solid 4 stars and a great jumping off point for other reads

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Bambolina_81
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Pickpick

I often find non-fiction tricky as my attention flits about and I lose interest. I loved this book and it held me right to the end. Murray justifies her choices and while I would have selected additional women, that's just me. I learned about women I'd never heard of so I feel enlightened and grateful for their endeavours. I look at my daughter and wonder who she will be. I feel better able to educate her about women who have come before her.

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rockpools
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This is a very personal selection of 21 women who Jenni admires, or believes should be better/differently known, or have impacted on our lives in some way.

Fanny Burney is included not primarily as a novelist, but as a breast cancer survivor, who underwent a mastectomy in 1811 - before general anaesthetic was an option. She wrote to her sister a few months later describing the surgery. A truly shocking account. She lived another 30 years.

Lindy 😳😳😳 8y
saresmoore Holy cow. I can't even imagine. 8y
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rockpools
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Next up on audio...

charl08 Sounds good. 8y
rockpools @charl08 So far it is. But I'm having to train my brain to actually listen to it - It keeps doing the 'Jenni Murray - background radio - tuning out' thing, then i realise I've missed a really interesting bit 🙁 8y
29 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Bambolina_81
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Enjoying this audio book today, written and read by Jenni Murray, whose voice I love thanks to BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour. I'm ashamed how little I know about some of these women though😣

TheLondonBookworm Sounds right up my street! 8y
Bambolina_81 @TheLondonBookworm So far so good! It's not often I read non fiction so listening to this us a real win a 😥d it's read with real passion too 😊 8y
Bambolina_81 @TheLondonBookworm forgive that random emoji courtesy of the baby 😂 8y
TheLondonBookworm @Bambolina_81 hahha I love it :) 8y
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rachaich
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Pickpick

Christmas gifts galore!