There are so many great non-fiction books out there about history’s unsung heroines: these are just a few of my favourites. These seven books bring together women who need to be rescued from the annals of time, or at least re-assessed. The historians featured have also worked hard to uncover new angles and facets in their writing through original research, which makes for a refreshing reading experience!
The Five by Hallie Rubenhold
A gripping tale of the women killed by Jack the Ripper that does not revolve around the abuse they suffered at this hands. A book that finally centres the women and doesn’t repeat unnecessary rumours and myths about them, but examines their lives as they were.
Captivating social history that really opens your eyes to how women at the time really lived their lives. This is one of my favourite history books and I am very excited to read her new Crippen book soon. Rubenhold is a very talented writer and the prose is delightful and sharp. A must-read for any Jack the Ripper and murder tales fans, as well as anybody interested in women’s history and the Victorians.
The Favourite by Ophelia Field
I was inspired to read this after seeing the eponymous film with Olivia Coleman and Emma Stone. This book provides a detailed historic analysis of the court of Queen Anne, an oft-forgotten monarch. Anne’s relationship with her Duchess favourite makes for an interesting read and you get a real sense of the court machinations. This book tackles a less often explored historical period and makes an important case for examining female patronage.
She-Wolves by Helen Castor
Matilda, Eleanor of Aquitaine (one of my favourites), Isabella of France and Margaret of Anjou: the four She-Wolves. These women are queenly, powerful, complex, and fallible. They must face the almost impossible machinations of the courts and religious powers at the time that sought to control these women. Helen Castor is a great writer and historian and she really brings these more obscure figures to life. A fascinating and engaging read.
Lizzie Siddall by Lucinda Hawskley
One of my favourites, this book examines the fate of an artist’s model in the Pre-Raphaelite movement. Elizabeth (Lizzie) Siddall is discovered, painted, and courted by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, but this is no happy ending like the one afforded Jane Morris.
This punchy biograpghy tackles addiction, eating disorders, power dynamics, and poverty. Stunning story with a really heart-breaking look at what happens to some women models and artists once the men were “through with them”. A must-read for any fans of the Pre-Raphaelites.
Elizabeth of York by Alison Weir
Peaceful and without guile, or ruthless when needed and the ultimate survivor Queen? Elizabeth of York under the expert eye of Weir comes out as a complex and determined Queen. Weir herself is a consummate Tudor historian and it is a pleasure to read her thinking around the beginnings of the Tudor mythology.
Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley
Examining Jane through bricks and mortar brings new Austenite aspects to light in this sparkling and original book by the sparkling and original Lucy Worsley! There are some really insightful social history details here that really open up Jane’s world. A refreshing and unsentimental take on Jane’s life. This is such a great architectural and social history book that really sets a precedent for how we should think of our historic women.
Devices and Desires by Kate Hubbard
A look at Bess of Hardwick through the lens of her architectural aspirations. A fascinating portrait of a true Renaissance woman and forgotten maverick. Bess is truly an unsung Tudor heroine, and Kate Hubbard brings her character, determination, and creativity to light.
Love a historic book that combines intrigue with architecture. Bess created the iconic Hardwick Hall, amassed considerable wealth, and made it through a few husbands too. She’s also a key character in the Mary Queen of Scots story and part of one of the biggest marital dramas of the Elizabethan age. A courtier extraordinaire, Bess was a real Renaissance woman. I think we’re going to see more historical fiction and nonfiction about her (film anyone?).
The architectural and construction history narrative adds depth to the story. Bess’s life is really something else.
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