Women Who Dared: To Break All the Rules

(Paperback)

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Description

For centuries, women had no rights in society or in law and no real prospects beyond marriage. Wives endured slave-like positions, yielding any wealth they had to their husbands before becoming imprisoned by the trappings of patriarchal culture. Some, their personalities deemed inconvenient, were consigned to the asylum. Few ever found themselves in the position where they could break free from these manacles and even then surely no one in their right mind would dare to do so, such were the consequences. From Victoria Woodhull, the psychic pariah who ran for the US presidency in 1870 (at a time when she wasnt allowed to vote for herself), to Coco Chanel, the archetypal self-made businesswoman, The Women Who Dared presents the extraordinary stories of six women who refused to live by a mans idea of what was morally acceptable. They took charge of their own lives and acted as they pleased. Despite being met with amusement, disdain or outright disgust, they pressed on, flagging a path to liberty. With great verve, wit and reverence, Jeremy Scott pays tribute to them. The Women Who Dared tells the tales of Victoria Woodhull, Mary Wollstonecraft, Aimee Semple McPherson, Edwina Mountbatten, Margaret Argyll and Coco Chanel.

Reviews

With an admans flair for whats bold and flashy [Scott] speeds the reader through the lives of his extraordinary subjects.

* Sunday Times *

There are some great stories along the way, and Scott tells them with verve.

* New York Times *

Hugely enjoyable and a sparkling addition to the genre.

-- Katie Hickman, author of Daughters of Britannia and Courtesans

Simultaneously an exuberant celebration of lives lived at full throttle, and a collection of cautionary tales an engaging and often witty celebration of rugged individualism and outright eccentricity.

-- Sin Evans, author of Queen Bees

Bold, raunchy, and colorful, Scotts book reveals what the history books leave out, including intimate details of the hidden and public scandals that marked the lives of these outspoken women, and honors them for their courage, determination, and commitment to change.

* Foreword Reviews *

He writes with vervehis fascination with his subjects is infectious.

* Kirkus *

Jeremy Scott, a man who clearly loves women, is awed by the exploits of these outrageous rule breakers. Me too. Its a great read.

-- Marcelle dArgy Smith

Author Bio

Jeremy Scott became a full-time writer following a colourful career in advertising, as described in his acclaimed memoir Fast and Louche. He is the author of Dancing on Ice, Show Me a Hero, The Irresistible Mr Wrong and Coke: The Biography. He lives in Chelsea, London.