Singled Out [Hardcover]

Virginia Nicholson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 23, 2007

The First World War deprived Britain of three-quarters of a million soldiers, with as many more incapacitated. In 1919 a generation of women who unquestioningly believed marriage to be their birthright discovered that there were, quite simply, not enough men to go round. The press ran alarming stories about the 'Problem of the Surplus Women - Two Million who can never become Wives ...'. But behind the headlines were thousands of brave, emancipated individuals forced by a tragedy of historic proportions to rethink their entire futures. Tracing their fates, Virginia Nicholson shows how the single woman of the inter-war decades had to stop depending on men for her income, her identity and her happiness. Some just endured, others challenged the conventions, fought the system and found fulfilment. "Singled Out" pays homage to this remarkable generation of women who were changed by war, and in their turn helped change society.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This is a ground-breaking book, richly nuanced with titbits of information, insight and understanding The Daily Mail Remarkably perceptive and well-researched ... Virginia Nicholson has produced another extraordinarily interesting work, sensitive, intelligent and well-written The Sunday Telegraph This in an inspiring book, lovingly researched, well-written and humane... the period is beautifully caught The Economist Brave, humane and honest The Observer --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Virginia Nicholson was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. She has worked as a documentary researcher for BBC Television and her first book, Charleston -- A Bloomsbury House and Garden (written in collaboration with her father, Quentin Bell), was an account of the Sussex home of her grandmother, the painter Vanessa Bell. Her second book, Among the Bohemians: Experiments in Living 1900--1939, was published by Penguin in 2002. She lives in Sussex.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Viking Adult (August 23, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670915645
• ISBN-13: 978-0670915644
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,641,251 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A glimpse of history, September 22, 2007

By 

L. H. Peebles "lhpeebles" (Arlington, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Singled Out (Hardcover)

Although the "all anecdote" format makes the reading a bit choppy, this is a worthwhile glimpse into a slice of history. So many social changes took place due to the loss of men during the "Great War:" women's entrance into the workplace, the professions, politics, as well as the beginning of the breakdown of social class lines, entitlement to old age pensions, and above all, the ability of women to be happy outside the traditional "wife and mother" role. Yes, this book is about England, but it's still worth a read to look back less than 100 years and see how far we've come in what is, after all, a relatively short time.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Women Left Behind by the Lost Generation, November 16, 2008

By 

Graceann Macleod "Books Fuel My Life" (London, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Singled Out: How Two Million British Women Survived Without Men After the First World War (Paperback)

Nowadays, many women are single either by chance or by choice. We marry later, we marry for love, we marry not at all. Men are around, but they may not be "the one," or are unsuitable for various reasons. Women may decide to concentrate on career, or may have been born with a different genetic makeup.

Singled Out is about an entire generation of British women who, whether they wanted marriage or not, were destined to remain single due to the loss of over a million men within their own age group. Their stories are as varied as they are numerous. Many were engaged, only to lose their beloveds at the Front; some never even had a chance to meet that special someone. In some cases, the Great War gave women opportunities that they never would have dreamed of in other circumstances. Archeologists, stockbrokers and scientists abound within these pages. Lesbians found that they were able to live a bit more openly, too, due to the common occurrence of (and thus fewer raised eyebrows over) women needing to room together for financial and companionship reasons.

Nearly every family in Britain lost someone in the Great War; this is how the women left behind picked up the pieces and moved forward without their men. Because of the sheer volume of stories, the narrative can become a bit confusing at times (I would go back occasionally to remind myself about whom I was reading), but the stories were so compelling on the whole that I now wish to read more about their experiences. Vera Brittain, especially, presents a fascinating life story.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written, September 5, 2010

By 

Elizabeth W. Schmid (New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Singled Out: How Two Million British Women Survived Without Men After the First World War (Paperback)

Elegantly written, warm-hearted and thoughtful. An account of the lives of early twentieth century 'spinsters'. A great pleasure and highly recommended.