Women Who Changed the World: Their Lives, Challenges, and Accomplishments through History [4 volumes]

by Candice Goucher (Editor)

Overview

This indispensable reference work provides readers with the tools to reimagine world history through the lens of women's lived experiences. Learning how women changed the world will change the ways the world looks at the past.

Women Who Changed the World: Their Lives, Challenges, and Accomplishments through History features 200 biographies of notable women and offers readers an opportunity to explore the global past from a gendered perspective. The women featured in this four-volume set cover the full sweep of history, from our ancestral forbearer "Lucy" to today's tennis phenoms Venus and Serena Williams.

Every walk of life is represented in these pages, from powerful monarchs and politicians to talented artists and writers, from inquisitive scientists to outspoken activists. Each biography follows a standardized format, recounting the woman's life and accomplishments, discussing the challenges she faced within her particular time and place in history, and exploring the lasting legacy she left. A chronological listing of biographies makes it easy for readers to zero in on particular time periods, while a further reading list at the end of each essay serves as a gateway to further exploration and study. High-interest sidebars accompany many of the biographies, offering more nuanced glimpses into the lives of these fascinating women.

• Provides full global coverage of women in world history, from earliest to contemporary times
• Covers the lives of famous and less-familiar women
• Presents each woman's life within the larger context of the era and region in which she lived
• Employs the conventional written sources of historians as well as the latest archeological and genetic research tools provided by science
• Includes numerous sidebars that highlight additional information of particular interest to readers

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440868245
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	01/24/2022
Pages:	1386
Product dimensions:	9.30(w) x 11.70(h) x 4.90(d)

About the Author

Candice Goucher, PhD, is professor emerita of history at Washington State University.

Editorial Reviews

"The overall tone is professional and engaging, the work is browseable, and the stories are fascinating. The set—and the women—deserve a wide audience." - Booklist

"For high school and university students and general readers, this encyclopedia adds balance to history collections." - Library Journal

From the Publisher

04/01/2022

Goucher (emerita, history, Washington State Univ.) and 110 contributors focus on 200 women throughout history, from Lucy, the oldest known human fossil, to pharaoh Hatshepsut to artist Georgia O'Keeffe to athlete Serena Williams. Each four- to eight-page entry describes the subject's life (primarily public aspects), historical context, obstacles, and legacy. Two-thirds of the women profiled were born before 1900; biographical conjecture is sometimes necessary. Most entries focus on individuals, but the Igbo Women's War, 17th-century N'Nonmiton warriors, and the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo also earn entries (though not the Bletchley women). LGBTQIA+ individuals are included among these entries, and the writers and editors are sensitive to using correct pronouns and names. It is easy to nominate candidates for the next edition, especially scientists, mathematicians, and women from the 20th and 21st century, but Goucher's aim isn't an exhaustive list, and the sampling will effectively broaden readers' perspectives. Also includes a bibliography, further reading (often annotated), an index, photographs, and sidebars (many with primary source material). VERDICT For high school and university students and general readers, this encyclopedia adds balance to history collections.—Patricia Lothrop

Library Journal