From Library Journal
Drawing upon Smith's congressional papers and more than 100 hours of interviews, Sherman (history, Univ. of Memphis) beautifully explores the ambivalence surrounding this woman, active in national politics from the 1940s to the 1960s. For many years the only woman senator, Smith was a longtime supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment and an advocate for women's presence in the military. But in her 1948 campaign, she released a statement that said she was "a champion for the women" but "no feminist" because "a woman's viewpoint should be...free of any emphasis on feminine interest." Sherman writes a clear narrative, covering the bases without getting mired in detail, of the life of this idiosyncratic but iconic political figure. A fine biography that will appeal to both scholars and general readers.ACynthia Harrison, George Washington Univ., Washington, DC
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
"A comprehensive look at a remarkable woman who was an inspiration to generations of young girls and women." -- Olympia Snowe, US Senator, Maine.
"Margaret Chase Smith blazed trails for women across the twentieth century, denying her own initiative and ambition every step of the way. Janann Sherman reconstructs the arc of her life, restores to her story her own agency, and lets us in on the difficulty of ever comprehending a life from any single point of view. No Place for A Woman is a great read and a fresh window on the political history of twentieth-century America." -- Sara M. Evans, author of Born for Liberty: A History of Women in America.
"Through Dr. Janann Sherman's exhaustive research, felicitous writing and critical analysis, we now have the definitive portrait of one of the twentieth century's most important political women, Senator Margaret Chase Smith." -- George Mitchell, former US Senator, Maine.
There is a certain discretion, an aura almost of tenderness, that comes through these pages. Sherman's book is thoughtful and satisfying, as straightforward and straight-arrow as its subject... -- The New York Times Book Review, Patricia O'Brien
"Margaret Chase Smith blazed trails for women across the twentieth century, denying her own initiative and ambition every step of the way. Janann Sherman reconstructs the arc of her life, restores to her story her own agency, and lets us in on the difficulty of ever comprehending a life from any single point of view. No Place for A Woman is a great read and a fresh window on the political history of twentieth-century America." -- Sara M. Evans, author of Born for Liberty: A History of Women in America.
"Through Dr. Janann Sherman's exhaustive research, felicitous writing and critical analysis, we now have the definitive portrait of one of the twentieth century's most important political women, Senator Margaret Chase Smith." -- George Mitchell, former US Senator, Maine.
There is a certain discretion, an aura almost of tenderness, that comes through these pages. Sherman's book is thoughtful and satisfying, as straightforward and straight-arrow as its subject... -- The New York Times Book Review, Patricia O'Brien
