Women Heroes of World War I: 16 Remarkable Resisters, Soldiers, Spies, and Medics

by Kathryn J. Atwood

Overview

Women Heroes of World War I brings to life the brave exploits of 16 women from around the world who served their countries at a time when most women didn’t even have the right to vote. Seventeen-year-old Frenchwoman Emilienne Moreau assisted the Allies as a guide and set up a first-aid post in her home. Russian peasant Maria Bochkareva joined the Imperial Russian Army, was twice wounded in battle and decorated for bravery, and created and led the all-women combat unit the Women’s Battalion of Death. American journalist Madeleine Zabriskie Doty risked her life to travel twice to Germany during the war. Resented, watched, and pursued by spies, she was determined to report back the truth. These and other suspense-filled stories of daring girls and women from around the world are told through fast-paced narrative, dialogue, direct quotes, and document and diary excerpts. Historical background information opens each section, and each profile includes informative sidebars and “Learn More” lists of books and websites for further study, making this a fabulous resource for young history buffs or anyone who likes tales of bravery and courage. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781613735954
Publisher:	Chicago Review Press, Incorporated
Publication date:	05/01/2016
Series:	Women of Action Series
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	679,356
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile:	1210L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Kathryn J. Atwood is the author of Women Heroes of World War II and editor of Code Name Pauline: Memoirs of a World War II Special Agent. Visit her online at www.kathrynatwood.com.

Table of Contents

Map ix

Introduction 1

Part I Resisters and Spies 15

"Patriotism Is Not Enough" Edith Cavell 24

"Because I Am a Frenchwoman" Louise Thuliez 34

The Teen Who Became a National Symbol Emilienne Moreau 44

Feisty Patriot Gabrielle Petit 53

Nurse for the Germans, Spy for the Belgians Marthe Cnockaert 62

Intelligence Organizer Extraordinaire Louise de Bettignies 70

Part II Medical Personnel 79

Surgeon and Hospital Founder Elsie Inglis 89

Adventurous Ambulance Driver Olive King 98

X Ray Expert on the Italian Front Helena Gleichen 106

Nurse Armed with Enthusiasm Shirley Millard 117

Part III Soldiers

Women's Battalion of Death Maria Bochkareva 137

"Remember You're a Soldier" Flora Sandes 148

"I'm a Cossack!" Marina Yurlova 158

Lieutenant Girl Ecaterina Teodoroiu 170

Part IV Journalists 181

Mystery Writer on the Western Front Mary Roberts Rinehart 186

"Germany Is No Place for a Woman" Madeleine Zabriskie Doty 196

Epilogue 207

Acknowledgments 215

Glossary 217

Notes 221

Bibliography 231

Index 239

Editorial Reviews

"A fine survey of major events in WWI and a case study in the types of social changes that often occur because of war, this book is an ideal candidate for both research and recreational reading." —Booklist 



"The fast-paced narratives recounts the suspense-filled stories of these exceptional women." —The Nonfiction Detectives



"Women Heroes of World War I is a good introduction to the war that started 100 years ago for readers of any age. It is also a helpful addition to the literature of women's studies. Look for it to be popular in school and public libraries." —RickLibrarian.com

"In sharing these stories, Atwood has done the women featured a great service—letting their lessons in courage live on a century later. She also has done her reader a great service—reminding them that nothing, and particularly not gender, need stand in the way of courage." —Chicago Review of Books

"In short, Atwood’s book is a reflection of the triumph of the human spirit over adversity, and deserves its place on the bookshelf of anyone who is truly interested in the history not only of World War I, but also of womankind itself." —Bookpleasures.com


“No word, picture, or sidebar is wasted in this collection of elegant, accessible biographies, which together form a coherent history of a too-long neglected window on World War I.” —Elizabeth Wein, award-winning author of Code Name Verity


“Moving, surprising, and highly readable, these portraits shine a light on 16 brave and determined women whose contributions to the First World War deserve to be celebrated.”  —Duncan Barrett, bestselling author of The Sugar Girls 


“Alongside their sisters toiling on the home front were women who served with exceptional valor at the front: from innovative medics to hard-bitten soldiers, from spies to enterprising journalists. Kathryn Atwood’s fascinating survey helps reset our perceptions of women in the Great War” —Peter Doyle, author of The First World War in 100 Objects

From the Publisher

08/01/2014
Gr 6 Up—In this collective biography, Atwood chronicles the wartime exploits of 16 distinctive women from the United States, Europe, and Australia. The book is well balanced, covering women from the Central and Allied powers. Content is organized by the type of job the women performed—and there were many: resisters and spies, medical personnel, soldiers, and journalists. Their great contributions are made more vivid with Atwood's engaging narrative. Shepoints out that while there were ideological, social, and economic differences among the women, there was also a commonality uniting them: patriotism. Readers get an idea of the intensity of these women's fervors through the quotes from diaries, letters, and interviews. Gabrielle Petit, a young woman who worked as a spy for Belgium, wrote in a letter, "My country! I did not think enough of it! I almost ignored it. I did not see that I loved her. But since [the enemies] torment her, the monsters, I see her everywhere. I breathe her in the streets of the city, in the shadow of our palace…she lives in me, I live in her. I will die for her singing." Woven throughout the stories is the larger history of the war itself—the causes, battles won and lost, and outcomes. Occasional black-and-white archival photographs, especially those depicting the women, add interest and immediacy.—Jennifer Prince, Buncombe County Public Libraries, NC

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