From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. In the final installment of her four-volume feminist history, French gratifies readers with an all-encompassing view of women's major and minor 20th century victories from all corners of the globe. French honors both male and female leaders, locating feminist uprisings in such unexpected places as Turkey, where reformist president Mustapha Kemal accepted women in his army and appeared in public with his educated wife unveiled. With patience, research and an extraordinary sense of scale, french examines the effects that the current major forms of government have had on women throughout the centuries, and correlates those findings with the current social and political moment in locations throughout the world. She also tackles the subjects of religion and war, which she claims are the two modern forms of patriarchy--men's way of successfully dominating not just women but other men. Her most curious and insightful volume, this book leaves no angle unexplored. Though often wordy, French offers a striking overview of feminist theory and action alongside her own views, polishing off an exquisite history useful for both personal and classroom study.
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About the Author
Marilyn French (1929- ) was born in New York. She received her PhD from Harvard and taught English at Hofstra, Harvard, and Holy Cross College. She is best known for her novels, The Women's Room and In the Name of Friendship, and her non-fiction works, including Beyond Power, The War against Women and her memoir, A Season in Hell. Margaret Atwood's most popular works include The Handmaid's Tale (1983) and The Blind Assassin (2000). She was born in Ottawa, Ontario in 1939 and received her undergraduate degree from Victoria University, along with a master's degree from Radcliffe College. She currently lives in Toronto with her husband, novelist Graeme Gibson. Marilyn French (1929- ) was born in New York. She received her PhD from Harvard and taught English at Hofstra, Harvard, and Holy Cross College. She is best known for her novels, The Women's Room and In the Name of Friendship, and her non-fiction works, including Beyond Power, The War against Women and her memoir, A Season in Hell.
