Book Review - Trailblazing Women of the Georgian Era

Trailblazing Women of the Georgian Era: The Eighteenth-Century Struggle for Female Success in a Man’s World. by Mike Rendell.

* Kindly gifted by Pen & Sword in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re interested in the 18th century and in particular women’s history, then I highly recommend Trailblazing Women of the Georgian Era. Initially I wanted to read this book as research for a blog post I am currently writing. However, it turned out to be one of my top ten reads of the year. This book details the achievements of certain women in the Georgian era, and how they broke the mould, despite the lack of equality between the sexes.

The introduction discusses laws concerning women in 18th century England. The author writes about how married women in particular had very few rights. A lady ceased to exist as a separate person from their husband, she lost her legal identity. Her property, whether acquired before or after marriage, was now owned by her husband. If a husband and wife entered into a trading partnership, the man’s name was used for all business purposes and its successes were attributed to him. Successful women were often unmarried or widows. Although, unmarried ladies didn’t have the protection of a husband – You couldn’t win!

There are four sections in the book: The Arts and Literature, The Scientific World, Business and Commerce, and Reformers and Educationalists. Among those mentioned in these sections are well-known names such as Sarah Siddons and Fanny Burney. However, Some of the ladies I had never heard of, such as Jane Marcet, a scientific book writer. All seventeen of the women’s stories were fascinating. Despite all the barriers of the 18^th century, they somehow managed to make their mark in a man’s world.

I think Mike Rendell has done a great job of bringing these trailblazing women back into the spotlight. I enjoyed Rendell’s writing style; he gets straight to the point. It’s the sort of book you can dip in and out of because it is written in sections. The book has glossy pages and features beautiful illustrations and portraits. I just know I am going to refer to this book often and no doubt you’ll see it crop up in a few future blog posts!

Buy your copy here