Franck and Brownstone (Timelines of War, LJ 9/1/94) offer a fourth choice among recent chronologies of the history of women, after Kirstin Olsen's Chronology of Women's History (LJ 6/94), James Trager's The Women's Chronology (LJ 8/94), and Karen Greenspan's Timetables of Women's History (LJ 2/1/95). Like its predecessors, Franck and Brownstone's work covers prehistory through the early 1990s, proceeding first by era and then by year after 1830, and like all but Olsen it is illustrated. (Olsen's alone contains a select bibliography.) The book is divided into four large areas-politics/war/law, religion/education/everyday life, science/technology/medicine, and arts/literature-and like Greenspan's includes more than 50 sidebars generally offering short excerpts from contemporary writing. In comparing three sample years, surprisingly little duplication of entries is evident. Given the diversity of the entries and the reasonable price, public and undergraduate libraries should consider acquiring at least two of the titles.
Patricia A. Beaber, Trenton State Coll. Lib., N.J.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
If 1992 was "The Year of the Woman" in U.S. politics, 1994^-95 could be called "The Years of the Women's Chronology." Women's World is the fourth such work to appear within the past year. (Chronology of Women's History [RBB S 15 94], Timetables of Women's History [Ap 1 95], and The Women's Chronology [O 15 94] are the others.) While Chronology of Women's History and The Women's Chronology begin with prehistory and the appearance of "Lucy" or Cro-Magnons, the editors of Women's World choose to begin in 35,000 B.C. and Venus figurines. Like The Women's Chronology, Women's World is illustrated with small black-and-white photographs and has an index.
Women's World is arranged first by era, then by decade, and finally, from 1830 on, by year. Women's achievements are listed in four subject areas--"Politics/Law/War," "Religion/Education/Everyday Life," "Science/Technology/Medicine," and "Arts and Literature." Sidebars include quotes from noted women (Abigail Adams' famous letter to her husband, in which she urges him to "Remember the Ladies," and his reply) and brief essays (for example, a note on childbed fever, a major cause of women's death before the determination that infection was spread by doctors' failure to wash their hands before examining patients). Entries include events (the founding of the YWCA and the Young Women's Hebrew Association), exhibition and publication of women's art and literature, and birth and death dates for women in all areas. The authors do not limit listings to "firsts" or necessarily unique accomplishments; for example, actors' appearances in plays or on screen and authors' works are noted. The chronology ends in 1993.
Women's World is, for the most part, a recitation of women's activities. Its low price may make it attractive to school and small public libraries needing a resource of this type. However, if cost is not a major consideration, either Women's Chronology or Timetables of Women's History is a better choice.
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