Eye opening history of the suffragette movement

I wish I had been taught more detail of the suffragette movement in school history instead of learning long lists and dates of the Kings and Queens of Britain! I have always been thankful for those who suffered so that I could have a vote and I still (in my seventies) tell people off if they “can’t be bothered”. Part of me wishes that voting is compulsory but with the option of spoiling my paper as a protest vote being permitted. This book was an eye opener and I was absorbed in the stories of all these individual women. I was fascinated by the differences of opinion that caused splits and splintering in the suffragette communities…knew nothing about that at all and it made me realise how difficult it is for any passionate political or belief system to remain completely united. I am a member of the Anglican Church and we are currently struggling with the differences in our membership concerning same sex marriage and I fear that we will splinter into different groups as did the suffragettes.
The story teller was great, but perhaps more than one voice would have added variety? It became a little monotonous to listen to in some sections, but that was due to the nature of the history telling and not the performer.
Thank you, Diane Abbot, for this great book! The suffering and punishments undergone by these women (and the men who supported them) who fought to give me my vote was far greater than I was taught at school and I am deeply grateful to them all, whatever way they chose to make their protest, violent or peaceful.

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Does the end justify the means?

I’m glad I listened to this book because it has modified my hitherto adulatory attitude towards militant suffragettes. I couldn’t approve of many of their actions even if they did suffer greatly by imprisonments, force feeding, assault and insults. Arson attacks on churches? And Burns’ Cottage!
My imagination ran to considering how recent women politicians would have dealt with the terrorism of suffragettes if some freak of the space-time continuum had permitted. Thatcher & May (as Home Secretary) would have been far more severe!

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Fascinating

Detailed history of the experiences of the militant Branch of the suffrage movement. Fascinating to hear about the truly heroic & determined rank & file women from all over the UK (& beyond) & from all classes. The list at the end of many of the activists involved & what became of them was stirring (& slightly bemusing given the rightward trajectory of some of the leadership). The 4 Pankhurst women alone had 1 Tory MP (Emily), 1 2nd Day Adventist (Christabel), 1 founder of the Communist Party of GB (Sylvia) & 1 founder of CP Australia (Adela).
The truly reactionary attitudes & behaviour of the Liberal Government to the women was startlingly shocking & literally undermined their own progressive agenda!
PS: Field Marshal Sir John French's Sister, FM Haig's Niece & FM Kitchener's Niece were all militant activists!

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Not Just the Pankhursts

This is a story with a very large cast; it is the story of the Suffragettes with the Pankhursts just providing the framework. Most of the characters are the multitude of ordinary women who fought the militant fight to achiieve the vote for women in numerous different ways. It is extremely well researched and a useful source of social history. The narrator did a brilliant job.

My major reservation is whether this works as an audio book. At times it felt like just a list of broken windows, prison sentences and descriptions of force feeding. There were so many people it was not possible to feel too much for any of them.

The heroine of this book is the fight itself and I was left with more mixed feelings about this than when I started. Were they terrorists? Definitely not. Were they mentally unstable? In more than a few cases, I suspect the answer was yes. Did they do more damage to the cause than good - I think the jury is still out.on that one.

As a woman I am very aware that I owe those who struggled for the liberty I take for granted a great debt. This book has given me a broader view of the whole picture and I now want to know more about the others who struggled on without the militancy and - it has to be said - without all the publicity.

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What a generation!

Massively detailed but fascinating. A whole generation of socially aware activists who continued to work for good but now mostly forgotten.

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