Emmeline Pankhurst: A Biography (Women's and Gender History) [Paperback]

June Purvis (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0415325935 | ISBN-13: 978-0415325936 | Publication Date: February 5, 2004 | Edition: New edition

Emmeline Pankhurst was perhaps the most influential woman of the twentieth century. Today her name is synonymous with the 'votes for women' campaign and she is remembered as the most brave and inspirational suffrage leader in history. In this absorbing account of her life both before and after the campaign for women's suffrage, June Purvis documents her early political work, her active role within the suffrage movement and her role as a wife and mother within her family.
This fascinating full-length biography of Emmeline Pankhurst, the first for nearly seventy years, draws upon new approaches to feminist biography to place her within the context of her family and friends. It is based upon an unrivalled range of primary sources, including personal interviews with her surviving family.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Emmeline Pankhurst and her fellow suffragettes were far and away the most militant feminists in Great Britain in the early 20th century. They smashed windows, spent months in jail, and endured such extreme hunger strikes that the government resorted to force feeding them. And their militancy worked. Under Pankhurst's leadership, the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) won the parliamentary vote for women in Great Britain. Purvis, frustrated by previous historians' attempts to diminish Pankhurst's achievements, offers a detailed account of the WSPU leader's daring approach to militancy and argues that partial enfranchisement would not have been granted in 1918 without Pankhurst's leadership. "What is frequently overlooked," says Purvis, "is that Emmeline and her militants changed the way in which women were perceived by people generally, including politicians." The narrative occasionally gets bogged down in stiff prose and too much detail to maintain an easy forward momentum; nevertheless, the book offers a needed revisionist view of a bold and charismatic feminist leader. Suitable for academic libraries. Amy Strong, South Portland, ME
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

'What Purvis does for Emmeline Pankhurst in her new biography is to provide a detailed, scrupulous, excellently researched retelling of the story, and thus offer a vindication of the woman.' - Michael Foot, The Guardian

'The product of careful and thorough research, offering in many respects an important corrective to established views ... Purvis has tracked down surviving letters in many scattered collections, as well as patiently trawling through newspaper reports of Emmeline's speeches, and gaining exclusive access to the late Jill Craigie's collection of suffrage material' - Mark Bostridge, Times Literary Supplement

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; New edition edition (February 5, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415325935
• ISBN-13: 978-0415325936
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 5.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #565,565 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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