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Sheila Rowbotham
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Dreamers of a New Day: Women Who Invented the Twentieth Century Hardcover – June 15, 2010

by Sheila Rowbotham (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars 9 ratings
Amid the growth of globalized trade, mass production, immigration and urban slums that dominated the period from the 1880s to the onset of the First World War, an awakening was taking place among American and British women. Across the Atlantic and across political boundaries—anarchists to liberals, feminists and non-feminists—female pioneers shared a sense that social change was possible, and acted upon that belief. Dreamers of a New Day explores a period, from the belle époque to the roaring twenties, when women overturned social norms and assumptions as they struggled to define themselves as individuals. Forming broad coalitions and movements, they transformed the conditions of their own lives, decades before the intellectuals of the 1960s conceptualized “everyday life” as an arena for radical activity.

Drawing on a wealth of original research, Sheila Rowbotham has written a groundbreaking new history examining how women came to be modern. Challenging existing conceptions of citizenship and culture, from ethical living to consumerism, sexuality to democracy, these dreamers shaped many of the issues that remain at the forefront of twenty-first-century life.
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  1. Print length
    320 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Verso
  4. Publication date
    June 15, 2010
  5. Dimensions
    0.66 x 0.13 x 0.92 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1844676137
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1844676132
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Rowbotham has a marvellous gift for explication and an eye for the illuminating quotation ... readers of this ambitious and eloquent book will agree with Rowbotham’s tough-minded conclusion: that in women’s ongoing effort to reconcile the personal and the political, ‘there is no automatic accretion of improvement,’ but the need to reinvent utopia in every era.”—Elaine Showalter, Daily Telegraph

“As the 21st century falters forward with faith wars and economic collapse, women need to be at the forefront of reimagining our world. This book is a timely reminder that we have been here before.”—Jeanette Winterson, Times

“Exhilarating ... admirably lucid ... Reading about the wild hopes of these early 20th-century pioneers, you cannot fail to be moved by the sheer exuberance of their imaginations.”—Kathryn Hughes, Guardian

“Dreamers of a New Day is crowded, lively and inspiring ... Rowbotham’s book is a tribute to women’s faith in the possible but also to her own unquenchable belief in women.”—Alison Light, Independent

“Dreamers of a New Day is short but vast in scope ... [its] an unusual work, utterly unlike anything else appearing at the moment under the heading ‘feminism,’ and for that reason it is important.”—Melissa Benn, New Statesman

“Written lucidly and with characteristic generosity.”—Times Higher Education

“Rowbotham does an excellent job of reminding the reader of the historical context of these women’s lives.”—Daphne Spain, Times Literary Supplement

“A revelatory new history.”—Kerry Howley, Bookforum

“This book should still inspire a new generation of dreamers.”—Morning Star

“An impeccably researched ... and thoughtful book. [Its] scope is impressive; it touches on nearly every conceivable subject: fashion, socialism, unions, housework, sweatshops, communal utopias, children, consumption, and of course, sex ... It’s hard to imagine anyone who wouldn’t learn something from this book.”—Catherine Ramsdell, PopMatters

“[Dreamers of a New Day] explores the period when women overturned social norms to define themselves as individuals.”—Shreveport Times

“Highly recommended.”—Choice

About the Author

Sheila Rowbotham is Honorary Research Fellow in Sociology in the School of Social Sciences within the Faculty of Humanities at Manchester University and Visiting Fellow in the School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies at the University of Bristol. She is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Her many books include the James Tait Black–shortlisted Edward Carpenter: A Life of Liberty and Love, A Century of Women: The History of Women in Britain and the United States in the Twentieth Century, Promise Of A Dream: Remembering the Sixties, and Dreamers of a New Day: Women Who Invented the Twentieth Century. She has written for, among other newspapers, the Guardian, The Times, The Independent, New Statesman, and The New York Times. She lives in Manchester.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Verso
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 15, 2010
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ First Edition
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1844676137
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1844676132
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.3 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.66 x 0.13 x 0.92 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 9 ratings

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Sheila Rowbotham

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4.4 out of 5 stars
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Louise Milone
    5.0 out of 5 stars And these are not just the women that we always read about like Emma Goldman
    Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2014
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    This book is a gold mine for anyone researching first wave feminism in the UK and US. Rowbotham looks at women on both sides of the Atlantic who were deep in the struggle for social justice. And these are not just the women that we always read about like Emma Goldman. Rowbotham writes about the women like those who worked out of the settlement houses making huge strides in changing lives. For anyone looking at a book to get them started in researching the feminists of the turn of the last century, this well researched book is a great starting place. Rowbotham gives us about 40 pages of notes and over 10 pages of bibliography. The book is well written, an engaging read and provides a wealth of referrals to secondary and primary sources on these important, inspiring women.
    3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • joethelad
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 11, 2015
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Great book
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  • Yogesh Jakhal
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in India on January 30, 2018
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Excellent
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  • mandalalinda
    4.0 out of 5 stars AN IMPORTANT BOOK
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 25, 2013
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    A very well researched and presented book by Sheila Rowbotham. It is packed full of rich quotes and connects developments in UK and the U.S. in all areas of Suffrage and the Women's Movement. However, although a very good read in the early chapters where jumping too and forth across the pond worked well, in later chapters, I found an over concentration on the U.S. The dynamic read seemed to wane towards the end of the book. I had the feeling Sheila's enthusiasm had run dry, but material was included to fill out the book and make it marketable for the U.S. market too. However, a very important contribution to this subject and I recommend without hesitation.
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