What do you think?
Rate this book
Heroines & Harridans
Heroines and Harridans is a tale of eccentricity (generally British), some bad behaviour (occasionally American) and rather odd love lives (some corking aristocrats). It is not by chance that the relation of matters in the past are called 'History'. It is, generally, 'his story' with many men doing grand things while the women stayed home to make the soup. Heroines and Harridans gives another, highly entertaining view on life as comedian Sandi Toksvig brings her trademark wit and humour to bear on 22 portraits of as eccentric a melange of women throughout history as you are ever likely to find. All of the featured characters were terrific good fun, helped shape the world they lived in but in many cases disappeared into obscurity. Each of Toksvig's gloriously funny pen portraits is accompanied by equally striking and imaginative illustrations by artist Sandy Nightingale -- from Amazon.
137 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
2 people are currently reading
272 people want to read
About the author
Sandi Toksvig
111 books555 followersDanish/British writer, presenter, comedian, actress and producer on British radio and television. She currently presents The News Quiz on BBC Radio 4 and 1001 Things You Should Know on Channel 4. In October 2012 she succeeded Sheila Hancock as Chancellor of the University of Portsmouth.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 16, 2015
A celebration of brilliant women that history books often forget about! If you're a Horrible Histories and/or QI buff like myself, a lot of these anecdotes will sound familiar to you, but it is still a really fun and interesting read, and Sandi Toksvig manages to find just the right combination between information and humorous commentary. The illustrations are a lot of fun as well (like the cover says, not a size zero in sight!).
It's a fairly short book that only barely brushes the surfaces of history (the only reason this got four stars and not five, really. I wanted more!), but Toksvig set out to write a funny and accessible introduction to a topic she is obviously passionate about, and in that regard, she definitely succeeds. If you have an afternoon to spare and feel like learning something about female badassery, I would definitely recommend this!
It's a fairly short book that only barely brushes the surfaces of history (the only reason this got four stars and not five, really. I wanted more!), but Toksvig set out to write a funny and accessible introduction to a topic she is obviously passionate about, and in that regard, she definitely succeeds. If you have an afternoon to spare and feel like learning something about female badassery, I would definitely recommend this!
April 29, 2013
Such a fun way to learn history and see how men have removed women from the history books for being so smart! Illustrations are hilarious and Sandi T's text brilliant. "She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth which must have been uncomfy for her mother." And so on... very funny and two sittings of less than an hour and a book to pass on happily. Signed copies and discounted through bibliophilebooks.com
October 4, 2014
A great book filled with characters not generally celebrated throughout history, or were pioneers in individualism.
The biographies are short and light. Giving the information concisely but with a levity that is not normally found in historical biographies.
The write ups range from a paragraph to no more than a couple of pages, and generally comes with a superb character portrait by Sandy Nightingale.
I would recommend this book for kids and people with short attention spans.
The biographies are short and light. Giving the information concisely but with a levity that is not normally found in historical biographies.
The write ups range from a paragraph to no more than a couple of pages, and generally comes with a superb character portrait by Sandy Nightingale.
I would recommend this book for kids and people with short attention spans.
June 18, 2014
Most of these women were important in the history of our world and yet,because they were female they were brushed under the carpet. Thanks to the author these colourful characters have been brought back to life in funny detail with equally expressive illustrations. If I had to pick a fault it is that the book was far too short!
January 23, 2014
Fun romp - although the inclusion of some women was a little strange - through history from a female perspective.
Good starting point for a newbie to the world of women's history, or heck history, as it's widely known. Funny illustrations throughout :o)
Good starting point for a newbie to the world of women's history, or heck history, as it's widely known. Funny illustrations throughout :o)
December 1, 2012
Still chuckling hours after reading this book, only one fault, it's not big enough. Some of the women are fascinating, and I'd love to know more.
January 4, 2015
An absolute delight to read.
August 29, 2016
Stories of historical people told in a fun humorous manner.
September 6, 2025
Sandi Toksvig...what's not to love!
September 30, 2022
It's very rare for women to feature in history - the occasional warrior queen or renowned abbess may turn up, but not much else. Generally they're left minding the store while the men go off and do things - or so we're led to believe.
Sandi Toksvig has sought to correct this with this slim volume featuring over 50 women, most of whom aren't as well known as they should be. There are some familiar names to anyone with an interest in history - most people will have heard of Elizabeth I or Eleanor of Aquitaine or Marie Antoinette, but how many people are familiar with Sacagawea or Bessie Colman or Dame Ethel Smyth? (Yes, alright, put your hand down, smarty-pants.)
Sandi Toksvig is well known for comedy in the UK, and this book features flashes of her humour. For example, the section on Eleanor of Aquitaine mentions the death of her father, William X, the Duke of Aquitaine:
"A few years later Eleanor's dad decided to make a pilgrimage to St James at Santiago de Campostela. Hoping for a blessing, along the way he stopped at a café, ate some bad eels (good eels are hard to find) and got traveller's stomach. Fearing the worst William asked his men to make sure Eleanor was looked after by Louis the Fat, King of France. The poor Duke then died. It was Good Friday in Campostela Cathedral and no doubt the Duke's last thought was to wonder what he'd done to make God so cross."
As this book features a short potted history of each lady it acts as a good springboard and starting-off point to find out more about them. I found it thoroughly engrossing and read it in a couple of sittings, but it's a perfect book to dip in and out of occasionally.
Recommended for anyone who is a woman, or wants to find out about some of the world's previously unsung heroines.
Sandi Toksvig has sought to correct this with this slim volume featuring over 50 women, most of whom aren't as well known as they should be. There are some familiar names to anyone with an interest in history - most people will have heard of Elizabeth I or Eleanor of Aquitaine or Marie Antoinette, but how many people are familiar with Sacagawea or Bessie Colman or Dame Ethel Smyth? (Yes, alright, put your hand down, smarty-pants.)
Sandi Toksvig is well known for comedy in the UK, and this book features flashes of her humour. For example, the section on Eleanor of Aquitaine mentions the death of her father, William X, the Duke of Aquitaine:
"A few years later Eleanor's dad decided to make a pilgrimage to St James at Santiago de Campostela. Hoping for a blessing, along the way he stopped at a café, ate some bad eels (good eels are hard to find) and got traveller's stomach. Fearing the worst William asked his men to make sure Eleanor was looked after by Louis the Fat, King of France. The poor Duke then died. It was Good Friday in Campostela Cathedral and no doubt the Duke's last thought was to wonder what he'd done to make God so cross."
As this book features a short potted history of each lady it acts as a good springboard and starting-off point to find out more about them. I found it thoroughly engrossing and read it in a couple of sittings, but it's a perfect book to dip in and out of occasionally.
Recommended for anyone who is a woman, or wants to find out about some of the world's previously unsung heroines.
December 2, 2024
An informative title which gives a great starting point for learning about less spoken about women of history (or should I say "her"story?). Sandi Toksvig combines humour with informative text in a way that engages the reader and keeps you wanting to learn more.
The illustrations by Sandy Nightingale were well placed and helped to bring substance to the book.
The illustrations by Sandy Nightingale were well placed and helped to bring substance to the book.
February 6, 2023
Some of the great ladies of history brought to life
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews