Bad Girls and Wicked Women: The Most Powerful, Shocking, Amazing, Thrilling and Dangerous Women of All Time by Jan Stradling

by Jan Stradling

Bad Girls & Wicked The Most Powerful, Shocking, Amazing, Thrilling & Dangerous Women of All Time is an historic survey of 22 of the most ruthless and ambitious women in history. These are sassy, brilliant, magnetic, cunning and tough-as-nails women who defied the social mores of their eras. These anti-heroines battled against the odds and often against the status quo, succeeding in turning the power structure, if only for a short time, directly on its head. Some were cruel, some were visionary and some were blinded by ambition or love. (Murdoch Books)

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Biography, Historical, Feminism, Crime, Womens

Paperback

First published April 1, 2008

Reviews

[Quirkyreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written brief historical overview of the "Bad Girls" of history. Some of the usual suspects are mentioned in this book along with others that were new to me.

[Jacqui · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great read about so many cunning, sadistic and ballsy women. Every single story was interesting with just enough information to keep you engaged. The story of Typhoid Mary was so incredibly sad

[Soul Lilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I go to a book store, I always manage to come out with a book regardless if it was on my list or not. I have a lot of experience picking ones that I think are good reads but turn out to be quite terrible. This book, was NOT one of them. Honestly, I picked this one up on a whim because there were 3 Historical women that I liked reading about. I was sincerely surprised about all the other woman that I ended up learning about.

I maybe didn't bother to read about two of them, but that was my own personal preferences. Even so, this book was REALLY hard to put down if not outright impossible. Every minute I had available was most definitely spent reading this lovely piece.

It was dark, but informative with just the right amount of light comedic relief towards the end of each piece. I really do recommend this, even if reading about historical individuals isn't your thing... I HIGHLY recommend you give it a shot.

I guarantee you won't regret it!

[Glenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved all these true stories. Just the perfect amount of time allocated to each woman. Making it an easy read. It deserves a five star. Usually short stories have some good and some not so good. This was the exception as all are great

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

[ This post was originally uploaded to http://www.theageofintimacy.com/bad-g... as part of a blogging/social media internship. ]

A few years ago, I was really into interesting coffee table books, with a particular obsession for PostSecret books. But in the course of my collecting, I managed to pick up Bad Girls & Wicked Women by Jan Stradling, and it (along with the PostSecret books) survived the cull when I finally moved out into my own place.

Let me be absolutely clear here – I love strong female characters (my current favourites are Joan Holloway from ‘Mad Men’ and Olivia Pope from ‘Scandal’), and this book has a whole wealth of them, covering “22 of history’s most ruthless and brilliant women”, from Cleopatra right through to Phoolan Devi. (Don’t worry, I had no idea who she was before reading this either.) They run the gamut from merciless rulers to black widows, with spies, pirates and outlaws thrown in for good measure.

One of the most interesting stories in the book is of Belle Starr, an associate of Jesse James, his brother Frank, and their gang. From a privileged upbringing where she was given the opportunity to learn Latin, Greek and Hebrew, she broke all the conventions at the time, employed by the Confederacy as a carrier of intelligence during the Civil War. Her brother was killed in action, and Belle’s father was made destitute by the war, which led to a different quality of life than she had previously. When the James-Younger gang came calling, having fought alongside her brother, Belle found a new lease on life, often riding out with them, and fast becoming entangled with “frontier guerillas”.

The way this book is set out, with just a handful of pages to cover each extraordinary woman, makes this perfect bedtime reading. While it may not cover the lives of these extraordinary women in minute detail, it serves as a good starting point for learning more about their lives and crimes.

[Hannah Adkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big history nerd so this book was right up my alley. Plus I mean. I can really identify with the Bad Girls thing haha. Overall I thought that this was a pretty interesting read. I really liked how it was written. It didn't read like a history textbook, it was all very down to earth and put in a way that pretty much everyone can understand, which is really nice. I also liked the way the book was laid out, there were a lot of cool photo's and clippings from things to go along with each womans story. It was really nice to have those visual elements in there to really make these "bad girls" come to life.
Probably the only thing that I didn't like about it is actually a part 2 to one of my likes(about how it was written). While I liked the writing style, you can definitely tell that the author put her two cents in on every woman that was talked about. At times I felt that she was really talking these women up and maybe that they didn't necessarily deserve it. That's not really the point of a book like this. It should contain the information in a way people can understand and relate and let them make up their own minds about whether they think that they were awesome or not, not to have the author try and persuade them. That's just my opinion on the matter.
It was still a good book and I'd totally recommend it, I just wish the author would've toned it down a bit with her views.

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[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a long time to read this book because I actually own it as opposed to having borrowed it from the library, so I was reading it in between library books. It's a fascinating look at, as the subtitle says, "powerful, shocking, amazing...dangerous women." I'd not heard of many of them and knew little about most of the ones I'd heard of. I prefer to think that's because history tends not to focus on the deeds of women rather than my own ignorance but either way I felt a little uneducated reading this book. It was very interesting and well-researched. There have been some pretty tough and ruthless women at the head of nations during the history of our world and some very tough and ruthless women who, while not heads of state, were the stars in their own universes.

[Kimberly Hickey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting & hard to put down. Each chapter is just long enough to give enough info as to why these women are considered bad girls in history & leave you wanting to find out more. I brought it with me on vacation and it was perfect for someone who likes true stories rather than fluff. Since each chapter is it's own story, I was able to put it down for a while & come back to it later.

[Angie Fehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This lovely little history book, decked out in french flapped-goodness, gives readers a little glimpse into the lives of 32 women throughout history who, in one way or another, have been deemed infamous "bad girls". Stradling covers the classic tales such as those of Elizabeth Bathory, Madame Mao, Mary I, Messalina, Typhoid Mary ... but she also throws in a few lesser well-known names such as the pirate Shi Xianggu, New Zealand's cross-dressing conwoman Amy Bock, Phoolan Devi or Leila Khaled. Not all the women here have tales that are clear-cut evil, some are more a matter of making poor choices based on circumstances, or some were just consumed by a desperate need for attention and respect. Then again, some are most definitely, mind-boggling disturbing. Makes one shake their head in disbelief, but also makes for fun reading! Just some of the topics covered:

* Boudica --- Celtic warrior queen who was beaten, left widowed and forced to watch her daughters being raped... can't blame a mama for snapping a bit, right?

* Mary I aka "Bloody Mary" -- first daughter of Henry VIII, mostly ignored and desperate for attention... so she went to desperate lengths to get what she wanted...

* Empress Catherine of Russia -- stuck with an incompetent, insensitive dolt for a husband. Compelled her to snag his throne for herself, sometimes by whatever means necessary, "for the good of the country"

* Belle Starr -- known as a female Jesse James, married twice to two different outlaw men, got arrested with 2nd husband. Both sentenced to 1 year but both out by 9 months. She also had a tendency to choose Cherokee men for lovers; even if the relationship went bust, she was always desperate to keep a portion of their lands for herself.

* Imelda Marcos -- First Lady of the Philippines, attitude similar to that of Marie Antoinette, believed she was "giving the poor something nice to look at" while ignoring the fact that she and her husband were running the country's finances into the ground.


There were a couple stories in here that I didn't know much about but after reading about them here I am definitely curious to know more! I couldn't believe the story about Roman Empress Messalina and the prostitute Scylla allegedly bedding 25 men in one night! Dang, ladies!

There was also the story about Ranavalona, who started as a servant to the king of Madagascar. Ranavalona's father once tipped off the king to rumor of an assassination attempt. As a thank you, the king adopted Ranavalona, had her richly educated and trained in court life. When she reached the age of 22, the king had her married off to his favorite son. The son had 12 wives but Ranavalona was immediately bumped to #1 position. When her husband came to power, Ranavalona turned out to be quite the traditionalist, ordering the execution of anyone who was for Westernized ideas or Christianity. She ended up wiping out 1/3 of Madagascar's population!

I found this book most helpful with the information it provided about Mata Hari, as I was reading a number of books about her and appreciated the supplemental info this particular one offered up. It talks of how, as a child growing up in the Netherlands (when she went by her birthname Margaretha Zelle), she had a naturally olive complexion and dark eyes in a land of blonde-haired, blue-eyed folks. Her father called her "an orchid among the buttercups". Sadly, her beloved father later abandoned the family. Once grown, she tried to attend college for a teaching degree but after taking up with the college director she was forced to leave. Scandalous! :-P She later met Captain Rudolph MacLeod (or Mcleod, depending on what book you read about her), 40 years old to her 18.

After they marry and she becomes pregnant, she discovers her man is an alcoholic but reasons that as a military wife she does get traveling perks, so she decides to stick it out. Through her travels she reaches the land of Java and immediately becomes enamored... so starts the first tricklings of the legendary "Mata Hari". Strangely though, while she was living there, both children fell victim to poisonings. Her daughter survived, her son did not. After the family moves back to Europe, Margaretha suffers beatings from her husband. She applies for and is granted a divorce and awarded custody of her daughter. Sadly, her ex refuses to pay child support so Margaretha is forced to leave her daughter with him until she can come back rich. It's shortly after this custody battle that she gets the inspiration to take up life as a dancer, officially taking the stage name Mata Hari or "Eye of the Dawn" in Malay language. She tours Europe for 10 years as a dancer / striptease artist, making that money but depressed because her lifestyle is not suitable to have her small daughter around. But she can't give up the life because the money is good and she loves the fame.

By the start of World War 1, she is nearly 40 years old. It's harder for her body to keep up with the dancing so she decides to become a courtesan to high class clientele, one such being a high ranking German official. This liaison is rumored to be her start in the spy game. Mata Hari later gets an offer from the French govt. to spy for them, which she accepts, but she is later caught by MI5 in England (who believe she's still working for the Germans). She tries to schmooze her way out of trouble by attempting to seduce another German official but he seems to see through it right away, giving her false info which gets her in trouble yet again when she passes it on.

Mata Hari ends up being executed in 1917 but in 1999 her case was reopened and MI5 decided there wasn't enough evidence to warrant a death penalty (lotta good it did her at that point!).

This history book is great fun for new and established history buffs alike. If you're just now getting an appreciation for history books, this is a perfect book for beginners since the sections are short and are written in an engaging and easy to understand style. Not overwhelming yet enough to peak one's curiosity to read even more on these ladies. Longtime history buffs (like myself) can also have fun with this as you are reminded of stories you may have forgotten over the years. The book also features a ton of gorgeous photos and illustrations throughout.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started out pretty enamored with this book but got less so. It started with early history, cleopatra, messalina (who I'd actually never heard of). A surprising amount of these women I'd never heard of, actually. In the beginning I was picking up a fair amount of history along with the reading.

I don't know why I liked it less as I went. maybe I was learning less? or I was just tired of the short biographical format? the selection was interesting, from figures like the aforementioned to a notorious black widow (whose name I've already forgotten). prostitute become pirate queen, prostitute become madam - a lot of what makes a "bad girl" is sexuality. madame mao and imelda marcos made the cut. so proximity to power, sexuality. there were some straight up psychopath serial killers, some women who meant well but ruled with a bloodthirsty iron fist...

anyway, I'm glad to have learned a little bit and gained at least a passing familiarity with these women, some who were misunderstood and some who were truly evil.

[Kirra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bad Girls & Wicked Women was a quick and interesting read about some truly terrible women in history, but also women that just didn't want to conform and had bigger dreams. Some of the women in this book such as Elizabeth Bathory are in this book due to their horrible crimes throughout their lives, but some like Cleopatra and Mata Hari might have just been a little misunderstood with their goals.

I enjoyed reading about these women because I've always had an interest in Cleopatra, I've been horrified by Elizabeth Bathory and wanted to know more about Mary I of England. However, not only did I learn more about those women, but I also learned so much about women I had never even heard about. Considering what some of these women did over their lifetime, it's actually surprising they're not talked about as much as some of the dangerous males of their times. Possibly because no-one wants to think of women as being capable of such shocking things or such powerful achievements.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bad Girls and Wicked Women by Jan Stradling offers an intriguing exploration of women throughout history who defied societal norms. The book showcases a range of infamous and lesser-known figures, shedding light on those labeled as "bad" or "wicked." While the stories themselves are fascinating, I found the approach occasionally veering toward sensationalism, focusing more on scandalous aspects than offering a deeper understanding of the women’s complexities.

As a woman, I would have appreciated more balance, with greater attention to the societal pressures and circumstances these women faced. Instead, the book often portrays them as rebellious figures without exploring the full context behind their actions. It’s an enjoyable read for those interested in tales of defiance, but it lacks the depth I had hoped for in exploring their motivations and struggles.

A song that resonates with Bad Girls and Wicked Women by Jan Stradling is Bad Reputation by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

[Carrie White · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second time I've read this book, and I had the same thought I believe I did the first time: why isn't the girl on the front cover included in the text? I want to know who she is! lol.

That said. This is a wonderful collection of real-world heroines and villains, all of whom are given a generous background, with great storytelling and easy reading. The book includes many lesser-known historical figures, and though I would have wished for more details on each, there's no shortage of derring do in these pages.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the earlier chapters of the book best - wasn't too sure about the last 4 or 5. Also felt that the book was written with a slightly heavy-handed feminist approach. These women were extraordinary on their own; I didn't think they needed as much "help" as the author seemed to give them.

Overall, learned some things I didn't know. Loved the layout. The pictures were amazing.

[Alayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A series of chapters on women in history, beginning with Cleopatra and ending with Phoolan Devi, this covers two thousand years of women who were sometimes evil, sometimes badly mistreated by the men around them and who took their revenge, and sometimes were just plain bad girls! Very enjoyable and easy to read with illustrations which added to the stories.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the book was tastefully done and enough time was devoted to each woman. The author's writing style was easy to understand and thorough. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the subject.

[Amy Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

These women were actually bad in the 'responsible for atrocities' sense, not the urban dictionary baddie definition. Lots of shocking stories but a really good sampling of different cultures and times. Thanks for the interesting read Mel!

[Lyn Stapleton · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting look at some of history's more notorious women. Reasonably well written, it didn't read like a text book, and was quite entertaining.

[Cathy Steklenski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short chapters on each woman from history- nice to pick up at bedside to read.

[Bella · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did find this book interesting but I think it would have been better if there were less people with more time spent on each

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Shane Headlam · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book of heroines and femme fatales.
A collection of bad women.
Some were bad, some did bad things and some were infamous.
A great read.

[Billie Seeley · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a remarkable book this was. It briefly detailed the lives of many different women from many different times, but all women who had somehow redefined what was expected of women. Most of the women were seen as icons and martyrs, but many also had a skewed idea of justice.
I enjoyed this book immensely. I learned about many women I'd never even heard of and found out more about those I had.
However, if you want deep, in depth descriptions of these women, this book isn't for you. Everything is gotten across, but the fine details are not gotten into too much, but what else would you expect with less than 300 pages in the book?

[Jacquie South]

Not bad ... some interesting women included in this collection. What I found interesting was that the women further back in history, more clouded in mystery, were, to me, more interesting to read about ... I wanted to know more about them. The more contempory women I found far less interesting - Imelda Marcos just doesn't fire up the imagination in the same way that Cleopatra does!

What was interesting also was the observation that most 'powerful' women were demonised by history (as written by men) by use of sexual labelling. Any woman who was strong was seen to be sexually devient, or bewitching or some such thing, and to some extent, most women in the past who wanted to be powerful, no matter how intelligent they were, probably had to fall back on sexual charm to some extent to achieve their aims. This aspect of womens' power is, to me, the most interesting aspect of the book, although it is not really examined deeply, only touched upon.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great multi-subject biography that won't be a chore to read. The book focuses on 30 women who have made history whether by choice or not. There are about 5 pages devoted to each woman so it's a great book to pick up before going to be bed if you want to read about just 1 or 2 a night. The details are kept pretty factual and present a basic biography of the woman from birth to death with emphasis on the ordeal(s) that made her (in)famous. I believe all include at least 1 photo or illustration.
A detail that I loved is that the book is presented in chronological order starting with Cleopatra (10BC) and ending with .
Definitely an interesting read and a good book for anyone who loves history and/or historical females.

[Pat W Coffey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up in March. It caught my eye because it was about "little" known powerful and ambitious women in history. It is an easy read. This is an interesting synopsis on women who DARED to go break into the world of men and consequences they met because of their boldness. These are not women that are heralded in history books. These are women who wanted to strike out. This is a book you can leave in a sun room, bed stand, or take on a trip. I think of you want a book that gives you a bit of history and a view of women who try to make history on their own, this book may prove to be very interesting.

[SheLove2Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

A co-worker let me borrow this book to read when I accidentally left my Nook at home. I was familiar with quite a few of the notorious ladies in this book, such as Elizabeth Bathory, Madame Mao and Queen Mary. There were also some I'd never researched much or heard of at all and a few of them put even the evil Elizabeth Bathory to shame! Broken down into very readable sections of 10 to 20 pages, these mini biographies tell the stories of women who went beyond "being a force of nature" into something macabre and vicious. I'm glad I wasn't around during the lifetime of any of these demented women.

[Diane Funk · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book, though I was kind of surprised at some of the women included in this book. Several of the women included, I had never heard of before. The book started out well, but as you got into the book further grammatical and spelling mistakes became more frequent. In the writings about Madame Mao the author stated that Li Yunhe changed her name to Lan Ping when she became an actress, but after that initial statement the name was spelled Lan Pin multiple times. Left me wondering how she truly spelled her name? There were one or two chapters that I truly wondered whether anyone had proof read them before submitting them for publication. That aside I enjoyed the book.

[J.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good collection of history's "bad girls" and why they are considered as such. The author did an excellent job of trying to explain the women's motives and show how they were the products of their time or circumstances, which of course begs the question of whether or not they were truly "bad" to begin with.

Excellent reading for anyone interested in history's more notorious femme fatales.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun light reading, def. a coffee table book that you can pick up and read a story at a time. Found a lot of women I'd never heard of before. None of them exactly role models, but still wildly interesting. And while these little portraits aren't really complex - it's easy to go find more information on the ones I did find I wanted to know more about.