Magnificent Women and their Revolutionary Machines

by Henrietta Heald

Overview

‘Women have won their political independence. Now is the time for them to achieve their economic freedom too.’

This was the great rallying cry of the pioneers who, in 1919, created the Women’s Engineering Society. Spearheaded by Katharine and Rachel Parsons, a powerful mother and daughter duo, and Caroline Haslett, whose mission was to liberate women from domestic drudgery, it was the world’s first professional organisation dedicated to the campaign for women's rights.

Magnificent Women and their Revolutionary Machines tells the stories of the women at the heart of this group – from their success in fanning the flames of a social revolution to their significant achievements in engineering and technology. It centres on the parallel but contrasting lives of the two main protagonists, Rachel Parsons and Caroline Haslett – one born to privilege and riches whose life ended in dramatic tragedy; the other who rose from humble roots to become the leading professional woman of her age and mistress of the thrilling new power of the twentieth century: electricity.

In this fascinating book, acclaimed biographer Henrietta Heald also illuminates the era in which the society was founded. From the moment when women in Britain were allowed to vote for the first time, and to stand for Parliament, she charts the changing attitudes to women’s rights both in society and in the workplace.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781783526796
Publisher:	Unbound
Publication date:	09/19/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
File size:	9 MB

About the Author

Henrietta Heald is the author of William Armstrong, Magician of the North which was shortlisted for the H. W. Fisher Best First Biography Prize and the Portico Prize for non-fiction. She was chief editor of Chronicle of Britain and Ireland and Reader’s Digest Illustrated Guide to Britain’s Coast. Her other books include Coastal Living, La Vie est Belle, and a National Trust guide to Cragside, Northumberland.

Henrietta was chief editor of Chronicle of Britain and Ireland and Reader’s Digest Illustrated Guide to Britain’s Coast. Her biography of the great Victorian inventor and industrialist William Armstrong, Magician of the North, was shortlisted for the H. W. Fisher Best First Biography Prize and the Portico Prize for non-fiction.

Table of Contents

Introduction

1 Leading Ladies

2 A Brilliant Inheritance

3 Fires of Ambition

4 A New Dawn

5 Seeds of Revolution

6 Virgin Huntresses

7 Political Longings

8 Good Times and Bad Times

9 The All-Electric Home

10 Conquest of the Air

11 Conflicts and Dreams

12 Jagged Abnormalities

13 A Defence of Provocation

Afterword by Dawn Childs

Milestones for Women

Notes

Acknowledgements

Index

Supporters

Editorial Reviews

"The fascinating stories of fearless women who did what they wanted when few were on their side. A must-read." — Roma Agrawal, author of Built

"Deeply researched and lucidly told, Henrietta Heald’s collective biography of a pioneer generation of female engineers is not only important but has an endearingly human flavour." — David Kynaston

"As the first woman President of the British Computer Society, I welcome this generous tribute to Britain’s female engineers." — Dame Stephanie Shirley CH FREng

"Magnificent Women is a sensational book, meticulously researched and affectionately written, a remarkable tribute to the pioneers who paved the way for modern Britain. It serves as both a reminder of how far women have come, and a source of inspiration for how far we still need to go." — Jess Wade

From the Publisher