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Life Lessons From Historical Women: Stories of bravery, wit, and rebellion for modern times
Take a tour of the past and uncover stories of the women whose lives and achievements have shaped our modern world. In Life Lessons from Historical Women, Eleanor Morton celebrates the ordinary women whose decisions and accomplishments in their everyday lives resonate with us today.Taking inspiration from the thriving self-help genre, Morton reasons that the greatest lessons can be taken from the female forebears who have come before - women whose actions inspire purpose, creativity and rebellion... without a side of pseudo psychology and judgement...Covering the full gamut of the female experience, and women from all corners of history and the globe, Life Lessons from Historical Women includes chapters on 'How To Thrive' with Judith Kerr, 'Think Like an Entrepreneur' with Mary Seacole, and 'How Not to Give a Fuck' with the famous suffragette martyr Emily Davison.Whether it's what we can learn from the first woman to summit Everest or the trailblazing ladies who confirm that pockets have always been must-have in women's clothing, Eleanor writes with humour and a sincere respect for our history, and imparts valuable lessons for the modern female.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published November 5, 2024
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694 people want to read
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Eleanor Morton
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
August 30, 2024
L-O-V-E-D this book!
Life Lessons is a light-hearted romp through the lives of 10 significant female figures from history. The strength of the book lies in the presentation of these lives, which is engaging and entertaining – quite some feat given the challenges they faced.
I knew I was going to like the book when talking about the Match Girl protests in 1888. Ms Morton described the poverty they faced: “ What held the people of the East End together, despite it all, was their community spirit, still famous today in documentaries like EastEnders.”
Some of the women are household names, such as Pocohontas and Mary Queen of Scots, but even then the author manages to bring a fresh slant and fascinating facts to the party. For example, I didn’t realise that the Queen of Scots ruled the people, not the land, hence why she wasn’t titled Queen of Scotland.
My personal favourites were the Match Girls, and the suffragist Emily Davison, but there were also women that were new to me such as the artist Artemisia Gentileschi, Ada Lovelace (19th century wife linked to prototype computors), Angela Morely, and the less known childhood of Judith Kerr (yes, of The Tiger Who Came to Tea fame.)
Heartily recommended for anyone who wants to be better informed about influential women from the past but who don’t want it rammed down their throat.
ARC supplied in exchanged for an honest, unbiased review.
Life Lessons is a light-hearted romp through the lives of 10 significant female figures from history. The strength of the book lies in the presentation of these lives, which is engaging and entertaining – quite some feat given the challenges they faced.
I knew I was going to like the book when talking about the Match Girl protests in 1888. Ms Morton described the poverty they faced: “ What held the people of the East End together, despite it all, was their community spirit, still famous today in documentaries like EastEnders.”
Some of the women are household names, such as Pocohontas and Mary Queen of Scots, but even then the author manages to bring a fresh slant and fascinating facts to the party. For example, I didn’t realise that the Queen of Scots ruled the people, not the land, hence why she wasn’t titled Queen of Scotland.
My personal favourites were the Match Girls, and the suffragist Emily Davison, but there were also women that were new to me such as the artist Artemisia Gentileschi, Ada Lovelace (19th century wife linked to prototype computors), Angela Morely, and the less known childhood of Judith Kerr (yes, of The Tiger Who Came to Tea fame.)
Heartily recommended for anyone who wants to be better informed about influential women from the past but who don’t want it rammed down their throat.
ARC supplied in exchanged for an honest, unbiased review.
March 28, 2025
Loved this book! I listened to it as an audiobook read by the author and I think it made it an even better experience! As a comedian, Eleanor, finds the perfect balance of humour and telling the stories of important women in history. I learnt a lot from this book and felt like I was just listening to a friend tell me stories about women in history.
July 15, 2024
"I am not a historian... I am just another history nerd who wanted to write the kind of book I wanted to read"
This is what the author tells us at the very beginning of this book and I am so glad she did write it because it's exactly the kind of history book I want to read too.
Eleanor Morton's style of writing makes history fun and accessible, with lots of comedy sprinkled throughout, yet it doesn't feel dumbed down either.
She brings each of her subjects back to life with her thorough research, witty and informative storytelling and compassionate handling of some of the more sensitive issues.
What is also refreshing about this book is instead of taking the same old women from history that have millions of biographies already written about them, Eleanor has decided to mainly focus on women that, perhaps, we don't already know too much about but deserve to have their story told and celebrated.
I also want to applaud the author for adding context to explain why these women faced obstacles in their own lifetime but also, seamlessly, highlighting why these stories are still relevant today and what we can learn from them to try and make the world a better place for tomorrow.
Big thank you to Netgalley for providing me with ARCs of both the audiobook and the ebook
(While the author's voice and humour translates well in the written version, I highly recommend you go for the audiobook just to hear the hilarious Eleanor Morton deliver her style of comedy out loud)
This is what the author tells us at the very beginning of this book and I am so glad she did write it because it's exactly the kind of history book I want to read too.
Eleanor Morton's style of writing makes history fun and accessible, with lots of comedy sprinkled throughout, yet it doesn't feel dumbed down either.
She brings each of her subjects back to life with her thorough research, witty and informative storytelling and compassionate handling of some of the more sensitive issues.
What is also refreshing about this book is instead of taking the same old women from history that have millions of biographies already written about them, Eleanor has decided to mainly focus on women that, perhaps, we don't already know too much about but deserve to have their story told and celebrated.
I also want to applaud the author for adding context to explain why these women faced obstacles in their own lifetime but also, seamlessly, highlighting why these stories are still relevant today and what we can learn from them to try and make the world a better place for tomorrow.
Big thank you to Netgalley for providing me with ARCs of both the audiobook and the ebook
(While the author's voice and humour translates well in the written version, I highly recommend you go for the audiobook just to hear the hilarious Eleanor Morton deliver her style of comedy out loud)
July 29, 2024
Life Lessons From Historical Women, while a simple concept is an excellently written and genuinely captivating book. Morton's choice of the women in question are wonderful and often unexpected, with the author choosing to highlight the lives and work of some lesser known, but still no less inspiring icons. Morton writes with humour and a clear affection and appreciation for the subjects in each chapter and it shines through making the whole experience even more enjoyable.
I listened to the audiobook version of this book, read by the author, and it felt like having a (one sided) conversation with a friend - or just a very fun history lesson. The accomplishments of these 'ordinary' women are anything but ordinary themselves, and I will no doubt be doing more research into my own of some of the figures that I didn't know about before this book made me aware of them. Notable favourites are the history of author Judith Kerr and Bobbi Gibb, the incredibly cool sounding first female marathon runner (even if she ran it without the permission of the race officials). Highly recommend this to any history nerds, or just anyone who wants to know some interesting facts about some extraordinary women.
Thank you to Octopus Audio and NetGalley for the ARC.
I listened to the audiobook version of this book, read by the author, and it felt like having a (one sided) conversation with a friend - or just a very fun history lesson. The accomplishments of these 'ordinary' women are anything but ordinary themselves, and I will no doubt be doing more research into my own of some of the figures that I didn't know about before this book made me aware of them. Notable favourites are the history of author Judith Kerr and Bobbi Gibb, the incredibly cool sounding first female marathon runner (even if she ran it without the permission of the race officials). Highly recommend this to any history nerds, or just anyone who wants to know some interesting facts about some extraordinary women.
Thank you to Octopus Audio and NetGalley for the ARC.
July 22, 2024
I might be in the minority here but this was unfortunately not for me. I understand that the author is a comedian but some of the attempted jokes seemed forced. Example: after spending half the chapter describing the unjust circumstances that led to her exile to Australia and the horrors of life as a convict, the author called Mary Bryant brave because she was willing to attempt escape on a boat with eight men.
The premise of this book is so promising and I did enjoy learning about women forgotten to history, but the humor didn’t always hit for me so I felt like I lost a bit of the enjoyment.
3/5 ⭐️
Thank you NetGalley and Octopus Audio for this ARC.
The premise of this book is so promising and I did enjoy learning about women forgotten to history, but the humor didn’t always hit for me so I felt like I lost a bit of the enjoyment.
3/5 ⭐️
Thank you NetGalley and Octopus Audio for this ARC.
December 12, 2024
Fun read. I actually listened to it. I would probably give this a 3.75—not quite as good as a 4. But worth the time. I learned a lot, and it was fun learning. Well researched, too.
December 5, 2025
I bought a signed copy of this in my fab local bookshop, and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a series of vignettes about a wide range of historical women from more famous such as Mary, Queen of Scots, through to the composer and arranger Angela Morley, interspersed with some fun listicles such as 10 Women I Would Not Want to Pick a Fight With.
Eleanor Morton is a Scottish comedian who I confess I'd never heard of, but who I now follow on IG. She's a self-confessed history buff, but this book isn't a lesson in history, it's a jumping block for each women giving you a taster of their lives, enough to follow up on (which I have done with a good few), and in each case it takes a look at what we can learn (exactly as the title says). The lessons that the author draws are often unexpected, highly political (lucky for me, I totally agree with the colour of her politics if not the exact shade) and always original and funny.
Judith Kerr, the author of so many children's books, including the Mogg series, is a good example. Judith was a refugee from the Nazis and as a child fled Germany with her family, and ended up in the UK via Switzerland and France - an asylum seeker, in other words. Her brother was imprisoned for a while during the war because he was born in Germany and was deemed to be a threat. Morton goes on to compare child refugee figures from the UK today, and uses Kerr's case as an illustration of what it means for children to be asylum seekers, and how they are viewed by a substantial minority today. The previous government wanted to abolish human rights as we know it, and though the full scale onslaught was abandoned, they ate away at quite a few. The press show the baddies, we rarely see the many, many suffering goodies.
This makes it sound as if the book is a political tirade, but it's not. It's far from a tirade. Eleanor Morton has a delicate touch in drawing parallels, which is why they hit home so well. And her overall point isn't, look how little we've changed, it's about the lives of women in the past and now, who are so 'ordinary' they go unrecorded. Yes, there are extraordinary women in this book, whose extraordinary talents we remember, but they were also living 'ordinary' lives - bringing up families, supporting their children, just struggling for independence in a world that made it difficult - and still does. There's a strong parallel here for me with another book I read recently, on Difficult Women - the point in that one being that our feminist heroines are also fatally flawed - in a way, also ordinary women. It wasn't intentional that I read both in a relatively short space of time, but I'm glad I did. Both of these books in different ways have got me thinking about real women in history, but also about the heroines of the books I write myself. Maybe I need them to have more flaws, to be more 'ordinary' in order to be extraordinary?
I really enjoyed this book. Never mind the politics, whatever yours are, it will get you thinking. And it's an excellent shout out for some women who should have a bigger place in history too.
Eleanor Morton is a Scottish comedian who I confess I'd never heard of, but who I now follow on IG. She's a self-confessed history buff, but this book isn't a lesson in history, it's a jumping block for each women giving you a taster of their lives, enough to follow up on (which I have done with a good few), and in each case it takes a look at what we can learn (exactly as the title says). The lessons that the author draws are often unexpected, highly political (lucky for me, I totally agree with the colour of her politics if not the exact shade) and always original and funny.
Judith Kerr, the author of so many children's books, including the Mogg series, is a good example. Judith was a refugee from the Nazis and as a child fled Germany with her family, and ended up in the UK via Switzerland and France - an asylum seeker, in other words. Her brother was imprisoned for a while during the war because he was born in Germany and was deemed to be a threat. Morton goes on to compare child refugee figures from the UK today, and uses Kerr's case as an illustration of what it means for children to be asylum seekers, and how they are viewed by a substantial minority today. The previous government wanted to abolish human rights as we know it, and though the full scale onslaught was abandoned, they ate away at quite a few. The press show the baddies, we rarely see the many, many suffering goodies.
This makes it sound as if the book is a political tirade, but it's not. It's far from a tirade. Eleanor Morton has a delicate touch in drawing parallels, which is why they hit home so well. And her overall point isn't, look how little we've changed, it's about the lives of women in the past and now, who are so 'ordinary' they go unrecorded. Yes, there are extraordinary women in this book, whose extraordinary talents we remember, but they were also living 'ordinary' lives - bringing up families, supporting their children, just struggling for independence in a world that made it difficult - and still does. There's a strong parallel here for me with another book I read recently, on Difficult Women - the point in that one being that our feminist heroines are also fatally flawed - in a way, also ordinary women. It wasn't intentional that I read both in a relatively short space of time, but I'm glad I did. Both of these books in different ways have got me thinking about real women in history, but also about the heroines of the books I write myself. Maybe I need them to have more flaws, to be more 'ordinary' in order to be extraordinary?
I really enjoyed this book. Never mind the politics, whatever yours are, it will get you thinking. And it's an excellent shout out for some women who should have a bigger place in history too.
July 12, 2025
The book is brilliantly sharp, funny non- fiction looking at the lives of historical women, the impact they made on the world and what modern women can learn from their lives. Many of the women who are featured will be women you have likely heard about such as Mary, Queen of Scots, Emily Davison and Pocahontas but you will find out things about them you never knew. Many of the others are women we should know but perhaps don’t, such as Junko Tabei (the first woman to conquer Everest), Williamina Fleming (a Scottish astronomer) and the Match Women of the East End of London (whose strike led to better working conditions). The author shows that all of these women may have been extraordinary in some way but in other ways their lives were as normal as yours or mine.
There are also short chapters with lists such as ten quotes from historical women, ten everyday things invented by women, ten terrible beauty tips from history not to try and ten famous muses who were also artists.
This is such a clever book as one minute you are smiling at some witty remark the author has made and the next she hits you with a sobering fact about just how difficult life was for the particular woman you’ve been reading about.
The author is keen to emphasise that there are everyday acts of courage carried out by ordinary women throughout history which didn’t get recorded but that each of these acts helped lead to a fairer life for modern women. She also points out that there is still a long way to go. For women to be recognised as something special today she doesn’t just need to be as good as men: she needs to be better.
This is how history should be taught. People would be so engaged with what they were finding out, entertained, amused and learning important stuff all at the same time. An excellent informative read. I hope the author writes a sequel to this as there are so many historical women who made such a difference to our lives but who have been largely forgotten.
There are also short chapters with lists such as ten quotes from historical women, ten everyday things invented by women, ten terrible beauty tips from history not to try and ten famous muses who were also artists.
This is such a clever book as one minute you are smiling at some witty remark the author has made and the next she hits you with a sobering fact about just how difficult life was for the particular woman you’ve been reading about.
The author is keen to emphasise that there are everyday acts of courage carried out by ordinary women throughout history which didn’t get recorded but that each of these acts helped lead to a fairer life for modern women. She also points out that there is still a long way to go. For women to be recognised as something special today she doesn’t just need to be as good as men: she needs to be better.
This is how history should be taught. People would be so engaged with what they were finding out, entertained, amused and learning important stuff all at the same time. An excellent informative read. I hope the author writes a sequel to this as there are so many historical women who made such a difference to our lives but who have been largely forgotten.
August 14, 2024
Fascinating. Some known, some not, good format.
It was good to hear some 'behind the scenes' of names I knew - Judith Kerr has always been a favourite, Seacole, Mary Queen of Scots... and then quite a few I'd never heard of. And am glad I now have.
Wow, there have been some amazing women through history! That's what I felt the author wanted readers to finish and feel. Morton, who reads her own audiobook here, in a measured and still engaging way, brings us 20+ women from all around the world, and the ways they've influenced future lives and played roles within their own lifetimes and not sat back and accepted the status quo.
I had tears in my eyes more than once, and now need a list of all these women to be able to do a bit more research (always hard with an audiobook to write these things down!).
While I felt Morton as comedian didn't really need some of the jokes she puts in there, the light-hearted format of interspersing lists of women alongside the in-depth chapters gave some fairly serious topics more relief.
I'd also like a bibliography to know where the information all comes from, as of course, this isn't available on the review audio copy I received.
Hugely information, inspirational and very very useful to know.
With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample listening copy.
It was good to hear some 'behind the scenes' of names I knew - Judith Kerr has always been a favourite, Seacole, Mary Queen of Scots... and then quite a few I'd never heard of. And am glad I now have.
Wow, there have been some amazing women through history! That's what I felt the author wanted readers to finish and feel. Morton, who reads her own audiobook here, in a measured and still engaging way, brings us 20+ women from all around the world, and the ways they've influenced future lives and played roles within their own lifetimes and not sat back and accepted the status quo.
I had tears in my eyes more than once, and now need a list of all these women to be able to do a bit more research (always hard with an audiobook to write these things down!).
While I felt Morton as comedian didn't really need some of the jokes she puts in there, the light-hearted format of interspersing lists of women alongside the in-depth chapters gave some fairly serious topics more relief.
I'd also like a bibliography to know where the information all comes from, as of course, this isn't available on the review audio copy I received.
Hugely information, inspirational and very very useful to know.
With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample listening copy.
July 22, 2024
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this audiobook!
This was an absolute gem from start to finish. I would absolutely be here for Eleanor Morton to continue the series with even more fascinating women in history. There were many I had heard of, some just briefly while other's far more in depth, and many more I had never heard about, yet every single story was as fascinating and pivotal as the last. From Mary Queen of Scots to Mary Seacole, each chapter delving into the lives and stories of these women gives us so much to learn.
Morton's narration was great and I'd listen to her reading a menu. I would highly recommend the audio version of this title.
This was an absolute gem from start to finish. I would absolutely be here for Eleanor Morton to continue the series with even more fascinating women in history. There were many I had heard of, some just briefly while other's far more in depth, and many more I had never heard about, yet every single story was as fascinating and pivotal as the last. From Mary Queen of Scots to Mary Seacole, each chapter delving into the lives and stories of these women gives us so much to learn.
Morton's narration was great and I'd listen to her reading a menu. I would highly recommend the audio version of this title.
July 21, 2024
I received a free copy of the audiobook version of this through NetGalley. The following review has not been influenced by the author, the publisher or NetGalley. All views are my alone.
I follow this comedian on Twitter, after finding one of her sketches on it about a year ago. Ever since, those videos have always made me smile, especially when she does the 'tour guide' routines. About a month ago, Eleanor mentioned that she had a book coming out and I immediately went on Amazon and put it on Watch. And then, someone mentioned in her replies that they were reading it through NetGalley. -That- caught my attention and so on the off chance that I could get my hands on it, I asked to be granted the audiobook version.
I have to admit that I knew very little about exactly what it was about, but I did know that Eleanor always made me laugh and that she had a way with words and tone to make anything interesting. I loved her snarky versions of various historical characters, especially when they were a women, so I went into knowing that no matter what, I would be amused.
And she delivered. In subject, and in the choice of her narrating it.
This audiobook is broken into chapters of a subject. Most of them are of single women, but sprinkled within them are lists, such as '10 women you wouldn't want to meet. '10 women muses'. And to me, it didn't matter. I listened to this within three days. I started it as I walked home from work, and when I had a few moments, or, had to do housework, I had it playing in the background.
I'd highly recommend this. This isn't a dry take on every subject. Eleanor talks of her own experiences within several of the chapters, and the way she presents it with humour without being disrespectful to the subject is brilliant. She mentions many women I weren't aware of, because this is more than Boudica (she is in this) and Agripinna (also spoken of). There are women scientists, warrior women, suffragettes, mystical goddesses, etc. This is 7hrs of never-ending information, that's fun.
I find that every now and then I need to listen/read a historical book that's non-serious. It keeps me going. It keeps my love of history interesting, so I don't get burned out. I'm glad that I caught this through Twitter, and if she does write that second book (please?), I'll be getting the audiobook version of that as well.
Eleanor narrating makes it even better!
I follow this comedian on Twitter, after finding one of her sketches on it about a year ago. Ever since, those videos have always made me smile, especially when she does the 'tour guide' routines. About a month ago, Eleanor mentioned that she had a book coming out and I immediately went on Amazon and put it on Watch. And then, someone mentioned in her replies that they were reading it through NetGalley. -That- caught my attention and so on the off chance that I could get my hands on it, I asked to be granted the audiobook version.
I have to admit that I knew very little about exactly what it was about, but I did know that Eleanor always made me laugh and that she had a way with words and tone to make anything interesting. I loved her snarky versions of various historical characters, especially when they were a women, so I went into knowing that no matter what, I would be amused.
And she delivered. In subject, and in the choice of her narrating it.
This audiobook is broken into chapters of a subject. Most of them are of single women, but sprinkled within them are lists, such as '10 women you wouldn't want to meet. '10 women muses'. And to me, it didn't matter. I listened to this within three days. I started it as I walked home from work, and when I had a few moments, or, had to do housework, I had it playing in the background.
I'd highly recommend this. This isn't a dry take on every subject. Eleanor talks of her own experiences within several of the chapters, and the way she presents it with humour without being disrespectful to the subject is brilliant. She mentions many women I weren't aware of, because this is more than Boudica (she is in this) and Agripinna (also spoken of). There are women scientists, warrior women, suffragettes, mystical goddesses, etc. This is 7hrs of never-ending information, that's fun.
I find that every now and then I need to listen/read a historical book that's non-serious. It keeps me going. It keeps my love of history interesting, so I don't get burned out. I'm glad that I caught this through Twitter, and if she does write that second book (please?), I'll be getting the audiobook version of that as well.
Eleanor narrating makes it even better!
January 10, 2025
Really lovely book, very easy to read and inclusive of all kinds of women from a large variety of backgrounds, many I hadn’t heard of before or didn’t know much about. And it’s quite comforting to think of womanhood the way Eleanor Morton describes it.
August 1, 2024
This audiobook delivered on every level. It was a fascinating listen about different women throughout history that was both fascinating and hilarious (while knowing when to be serious and poignant).
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There’s a really good selection of women discussed, including women from all around the world, and also featuring trans and gender non-conforming women. There were some that I’d heard of, and some that I hadn’t. I really appreciated that Morton started each chapter with a chatty, personal anecdote that led into each woman’s life story. It worked particularly well in audiobook form, and was a good reminder that these women have impacted our lives in ways we often don’t know.
I was also really impressed by the level of research, especially into women where not much is known about their lives. It’s clear how much work has gone into each chapter, and while all of these women achieved extraordinary things, the message of the book rings true for each one: that they are still ordinary women who we can draw inspiration from.
I received a free copy for an honest review.
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There’s a really good selection of women discussed, including women from all around the world, and also featuring trans and gender non-conforming women. There were some that I’d heard of, and some that I hadn’t. I really appreciated that Morton started each chapter with a chatty, personal anecdote that led into each woman’s life story. It worked particularly well in audiobook form, and was a good reminder that these women have impacted our lives in ways we often don’t know.
I was also really impressed by the level of research, especially into women where not much is known about their lives. It’s clear how much work has gone into each chapter, and while all of these women achieved extraordinary things, the message of the book rings true for each one: that they are still ordinary women who we can draw inspiration from.
I received a free copy for an honest review.
August 18, 2024
I read an ARC of this - thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.
I am a big fan of Morton's although it seems odd (rude even) that anyone twenty years younger than me can be old ebough to have a career. Anyway, if you've never seen any of her sketches on the internet, seek them out. Craig the Tour Guide is maybe the best known but I really love her history/literature stuff - Jane Austen reading her Hate Mail, 1920's Mean Girls etc. She is very funny.
This book is a reasonably light but thoughtful dash through the lives of various 'historical women' from Junko Tabei and Josephine Baker to Angela Morley and Judith Kerr by way of Artemesia Gentileschi, Mary, Queen of Scots, and Bernadette Devlin. Some of these people I've read about before (in books about historical women, natch) and some I hadn't. It's entertaining, funny in places and I learned some things. It would make a good gift for a teenager, I think, and that's not a dismissive comment - it's full of enough detail to make you want to know more, and there's a good bibliography.
There were a number of typos - some unfortunate - but I assume they were probably picked up in the final round of proofing. (The index is missing so the ARC obviously went out when there was a fair bit of work still to do.)
I am a big fan of Morton's although it seems odd (rude even) that anyone twenty years younger than me can be old ebough to have a career. Anyway, if you've never seen any of her sketches on the internet, seek them out. Craig the Tour Guide is maybe the best known but I really love her history/literature stuff - Jane Austen reading her Hate Mail, 1920's Mean Girls etc. She is very funny.
This book is a reasonably light but thoughtful dash through the lives of various 'historical women' from Junko Tabei and Josephine Baker to Angela Morley and Judith Kerr by way of Artemesia Gentileschi, Mary, Queen of Scots, and Bernadette Devlin. Some of these people I've read about before (in books about historical women, natch) and some I hadn't. It's entertaining, funny in places and I learned some things. It would make a good gift for a teenager, I think, and that's not a dismissive comment - it's full of enough detail to make you want to know more, and there's a good bibliography.
There were a number of typos - some unfortunate - but I assume they were probably picked up in the final round of proofing. (The index is missing so the ARC obviously went out when there was a fair bit of work still to do.)
July 8, 2024
I was very kindly given an advance audiobook copy of this book via Netgalley and Octopus Audio.
I wasn't 100% sure whether this was genuine or satire (the author's a comedian, it really was a 50/50 chance) and I am THRILLED to say it is the former. More importantly, it's a book about historical women you genuinely don't see on lists of 'amazing women in history'. Eleanor Morton has a wonderful writing style - and funny, it's very funny - whilst also putting in a huge amount of historical research. I liked the angle about the life lessons we can learn from these women as they generally focus on things we could ACTUALLY achieve as normal human beings rather than, like, go to the moon or sail around the globe. Highly recommend this audiobook as the author narrates it herself and it just adds another layer of goodness to an already great book.
'Life Lessons From Historical Women' is available from August 15th.
I wasn't 100% sure whether this was genuine or satire (the author's a comedian, it really was a 50/50 chance) and I am THRILLED to say it is the former. More importantly, it's a book about historical women you genuinely don't see on lists of 'amazing women in history'. Eleanor Morton has a wonderful writing style - and funny, it's very funny - whilst also putting in a huge amount of historical research. I liked the angle about the life lessons we can learn from these women as they generally focus on things we could ACTUALLY achieve as normal human beings rather than, like, go to the moon or sail around the globe. Highly recommend this audiobook as the author narrates it herself and it just adds another layer of goodness to an already great book.
'Life Lessons From Historical Women' is available from August 15th.
July 21, 2024
Audio ARC provided by NetGalley
When the author says at the beginning of this book that she is not a historian and to do your own research and get your facts elsewhere, believe her. She has included several things which are debateable and many others which are just plain incorrect.
That said, as Morton points out, what she intended to do was give the reader a list of people who inspired her with reasons why and she has absolutely done that. It's an easy, entertaining read and aside from the parts which I knew where just wrong or where her personal politics were shoved down the readers throat, I really enjoyed this. Take with a generous measure of salt and allow it to start the creation of your own personal cannon of inspirational women.
When the author says at the beginning of this book that she is not a historian and to do your own research and get your facts elsewhere, believe her. She has included several things which are debateable and many others which are just plain incorrect.
That said, as Morton points out, what she intended to do was give the reader a list of people who inspired her with reasons why and she has absolutely done that. It's an easy, entertaining read and aside from the parts which I knew where just wrong or where her personal politics were shoved down the readers throat, I really enjoyed this. Take with a generous measure of salt and allow it to start the creation of your own personal cannon of inspirational women.
August 3, 2024
Wow, this is a hell of an audiobook. Having finished it, I would quite like to thrust a copy into the hands of every woman I know. It’s often funny and always inspirational. I particularly enjoyed the fact that it featured women from all walks of life, to provide a well rounded reading experience. My favourite had to be Stormé De Larverie’s chapter but I was hard to choose as they are all fascinating. I learned a lot. The way the author drew parallels to modern life was really effective and thought provoking. It was a great idea to include short snappy lists at the end most chapters too. I genuinely think this is an audiobook everyone should read once in their life, but it’s also one you can refer to time and again.
The narration was brilliant and the author’s passion for the subject really shone through in her narration. I loved the range of accents too.
Thanks so much to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to review an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
The narration was brilliant and the author’s passion for the subject really shone through in her narration. I loved the range of accents too.
Thanks so much to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to review an advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
August 11, 2024
This is one of those books that does what it says on the tin and little else. It's an entertaining look at some famous and lesser known women in history and what we can take away from their lives. It shines when talking about the lesser known women, and the chapters on the climber and marathon runner were my favourite. I had no idea that for most of the 20th century, women were banned from running more than 1.5 miles in races due to 'medical concerns'. That a woman sunk into the Boston Marathon in defiance of this was fascinating to read about, and her contribution to women in sports should be rightfully applauded However, my eyes did glaze a bit when talking about women who are already well known. The platitudes from the life lessons sections of the chapters wore thin when talking about Mary Queen of Scots or Ada Lovelace when I've heard it said better elsewhere. It's still fun enough for anyone who's interested to check it out. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 17, 2024
“It is not enough simply to exist, to love, to be kind, to get up every day and be alive. A woman cannot just be an artist, or a writer, or a scientist. She must paint incredibly, write profoundly, make major breakthroughs in order to be recognised.”
“Today, the most famous women in art history are still the muses who inspired male artists, many of whom were actually little-known artists in their own right. We may never know the stories of every female artist in history, but we now have a chance to discover new ones. For all its downsides - plagiarism, the problems of AI - the internet has enabled millions of artists all over the world to share their work with anyone who wishes to see it. Now we just need to get it into the galleries.”
“Today, the most famous women in art history are still the muses who inspired male artists, many of whom were actually little-known artists in their own right. We may never know the stories of every female artist in history, but we now have a chance to discover new ones. For all its downsides - plagiarism, the problems of AI - the internet has enabled millions of artists all over the world to share their work with anyone who wishes to see it. Now we just need to get it into the galleries.”
June 7, 2025
Wasn't sure what to expect but was happy with what I got.
Pull quote/note
"The classics - murder, treason, piracy - were all punishable in a series of horrible, fatal ways, but over the next century or so an astonishing number of petty crimes were added to the roster, including, among many other things:
• Thefts of goods worth more than 12 pence
• Thefts of animals like horses or sheep
• Being an unmarried mother and concealing a stillborn child (I cannot emphasise enough how often this happened)
• Being out at night with a blackened face (I assume in case you were involved in hijinks, not because they thought it was a hate crime)
• Wrecking a fishpond
• Poaching" (36) re the third bullet point from the end, especially considering minstrelsy
Pull quote/note
"The classics - murder, treason, piracy - were all punishable in a series of horrible, fatal ways, but over the next century or so an astonishing number of petty crimes were added to the roster, including, among many other things:
• Thefts of goods worth more than 12 pence
• Thefts of animals like horses or sheep
• Being an unmarried mother and concealing a stillborn child (I cannot emphasise enough how often this happened)
• Being out at night with a blackened face (I assume in case you were involved in hijinks, not because they thought it was a hate crime)
• Wrecking a fishpond
• Poaching" (36) re the third bullet point from the end, especially considering minstrelsy
January 1, 2025
I've liked Mortons Sketches and Shorts on Youtube for years, so it was a no-brainer to want to read her first published book. Unfortunately, I once again discovered that public figures that are talented in one area do not make for good writers. Not only did I get bored pretty quickly by the
mentioned historical Figures (no one I haven't seen or heard from in similar biographies dedicated to Women), I really took issue with the Authors foreword where she for some reason thought it smart to talk about her Northern Irish grandmothers and trivialized the entire Northern Irish Troubles in a few pages, a conflict she obviously does not have a deep understanding of. Just offputting.
mentioned historical Figures (no one I haven't seen or heard from in similar biographies dedicated to Women), I really took issue with the Authors foreword where she for some reason thought it smart to talk about her Northern Irish grandmothers and trivialized the entire Northern Irish Troubles in a few pages, a conflict she obviously does not have a deep understanding of. Just offputting.
July 9, 2024
**Listened to audio book**
I found this book really interested, and I love that the author Eleanor Morton narrated the book herself. I really learnt a lot from this, and I found some of the info completely fascinating - especially the women that I thought I knew a lot about already.
The book did have some humour but I definitely would have preferred it if there was more humour, I think it would have been a little more engaging - especially as an audio book.
I enjoyed the listening experience, but it was just OK.
I found this book really interested, and I love that the author Eleanor Morton narrated the book herself. I really learnt a lot from this, and I found some of the info completely fascinating - especially the women that I thought I knew a lot about already.
The book did have some humour but I definitely would have preferred it if there was more humour, I think it would have been a little more engaging - especially as an audio book.
I enjoyed the listening experience, but it was just OK.
September 6, 2024
At last I’ve got the history book I’ve been waiting for! Really enjoyed reading this book and loved the humour in it! It was written at the perfect level and tone for me - I feel more knowledgeable and I had a laugh along the way!
What a selection of inspirational women Eleanor has chosen too! As a runner myself I particularly enjoyed reading about Bobbi Gibb although I could never run the 40 miles a day that she did for training!! I don’t even drive that far in a day!
This book has left me very inspired and grateful to a lot of these women. Thanks Eleanor! Looking forward to future books!
What a selection of inspirational women Eleanor has chosen too! As a runner myself I particularly enjoyed reading about Bobbi Gibb although I could never run the 40 miles a day that she did for training!! I don’t even drive that far in a day!
This book has left me very inspired and grateful to a lot of these women. Thanks Eleanor! Looking forward to future books!
December 11, 2024
A very interesting and well written book filled with Ms. Morton's trademark dry sense of humor peppered amongst highly informative stories about influential women, many of whom I had never heard of before. She has an excellent voice for storytelling. This is highly apparent in the audiobook version, though that version is missing the epilogue and the acknowledgment sections for some reason. I definitely recommend this to anyone interested in history and historical figures, especially female figures who are often overlooked for their achievements.
December 13, 2024
4.5
Really interesting stories of a variety of women through the ages. I like that they were presented as people with flaws and interests rather than just what they accomplished.
I enjoyed the humour and all of the references. As a late-twenties woman that lives in Scotland I can imagine some of the stuff going over people’s heads.
I saw the author’s Fringe show this past August on the day this book released! Cool coincidence.
Really interesting stories of a variety of women through the ages. I like that they were presented as people with flaws and interests rather than just what they accomplished.
I enjoyed the humour and all of the references. As a late-twenties woman that lives in Scotland I can imagine some of the stuff going over people’s heads.
I saw the author’s Fringe show this past August on the day this book released! Cool coincidence.
November 25, 2025
I don't know whether I would have enjoyed this book as much if I'd read it as opposed to listening to Eleanor Morton read it, but I did listen to it, and it was great. Morton chose her subjects well, giving brief histories of Ada Lovelace, Artemisia Gentileschi, Emily Davison, and many more. Morton does not shy away from politics and does not mince her words. I was entertained and educated.
March 18, 2025
Life Lessons is a fun, engaging and encouraging read. I learned so much and was inspired to be myself and to research so pretty awesome women. I enjoyed the humor and the random women related lists included thought-out. This is a really great book for anyone looking to put women foward in their reading and learning. It's a fun book to add to my women rule collection. 4.5 stars.
March 29, 2025
Was excited to read this but it was a let down
The author made attempts to put her humour into it when it did not add anything to the book
I did enjoy the chapter on Emily Davison. Chapters on Ada Lovelace and Williamina Fleming was clunky and poorly explained - the author saying they did not know how to explain it properly and just tried to make a joke about it.
The author made attempts to put her humour into it when it did not add anything to the book
I did enjoy the chapter on Emily Davison. Chapters on Ada Lovelace and Williamina Fleming was clunky and poorly explained - the author saying they did not know how to explain it properly and just tried to make a joke about it.
July 27, 2025
10/10 would recommend!!!! Funny, witty, feminist (and socialist lol). I learned so much about all these women but I think everybody in my surroundings are glad I finished this book so now I will stop bothering them about the real Pocahontas or that Bernadette Devlin once punched a Tory in the face during a debate (we all applauded).
November 11, 2024
A great topic well researched and presented with a sprinkling of comedy at all the right places.
I very much enjoy the fact that the audiobook includes a pdf bibliography because there's a few things I want to look into more.
I very much enjoy the fact that the audiobook includes a pdf bibliography because there's a few things I want to look into more.
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