The Book of Distinguished American Women

by Vincent Wilson Jr., Gale S. McClung

The spine is not even creased. Crisp, clean pages. No writing, highlighting, underlining.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Feminism, Biography, American History

134 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since history involving women is not always readily available, this is a great book which shows that women have been actively fighting for equality as long as the United States has been a country.

Husbands are few and far between. To be honest, there are more than a handful of untimely spousal deaths, which is curious. But we can't concern ourselves with that. This is not a story of men.

Sixty two women are profiled encompassing the past two hundred years. They took on politics, social welfare, the arts and sports for the betterment of all people. The majority of these women live long, extremely productive lives with their best work coming during their middle and later years.

I come from a long line of strong independent women. The biographies of these women are inspiring and we owe our current rights and freedoms to them.

[Ivana · Rating 3 out of 5]

U duhu praznika xD
"I think continually of those who were truly great -
The names of those who in their lives fought for life,
Who wore at their hearts the fire's center.
Born of the sun they traveled a short while towards the sun,
And left the vivid air signed with their honor."

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be honest I have 23 pages to go to meet my Goodreads challenge before midnight, but promise to finish the book before the New Year's celebrations conclude.
Having taught U.S. History, it was really great to get re-acquainted with some of the women whose praises I'd sung repeatedly over the years as well as meet other notable ladies I wish I had known about while I was still teaching.
This book is so readable and well researched. There is a photo or an artist's rendition of each woman highlighted in the book as well as a timeline and a one page summary on each woman's life and accomplishments. One page only! It is amazing what all has been covered in that quick synopsis for each of these amazing individuals. I not only recalled, but learned so much! This is a must read for any student and or patriot of our country. The Fathers of our Country deserve our admiration, but alongside them, as Abigail Adams stated, "Remember the ladies..."

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book to keep around. Though, I would recommend not trying to read straight through it. This is much more enjoyable as something to pick up from time to time, read one or two biographies, then return to it later.

[Tabitha C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many of the ladies I had never heard of. Most of them were feminists. Quite a few mention affairs and divorces. I don’t think I’ll be reading this again.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is well organized. The introduction and selection process are thorough. Under each woman's black& white photo is a timeline of DOB and accomplishments. These photographs and timelines are on the right side. On the left is a page long summary of each woman. I learned a lot about people who should be in history books who are not necessarily well known.

[Peter Mayeux · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an excellent resource for those who want a glimpse into the lives of several American women who influenced several aspects of our lives and culture. This is a book that is best read a few pages at a time. The writing and research are excellent. The credibility of the author is excellent. However, I could find no criteria used by a panel of historical experts for the selection of the women included in the book. Also, there was a second printing of the book in 1992 but very few 20th century women made the pages of the book. Readers will find interesting introductions to the activities of many distinguished American women.

[Kit Brown-hoekstra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm getting copies of this for all the girls and women in my family. I knew about many of the women, but I didn't know some of the details of their contributions and sacrifices. Each biography is a 1-page essay with a timeline and photo on the opposite page. Many of the women in American history. They did a good job of mixing fields of study and race, though it was heavily weighted with suffragists. They only featured women who are dead, so contemporary women are not included.

There were some important women missing as well: Sacajawea, Wilma Mankiller, Betsy Ross, Dolly Madison, etc., but that is just opportunity for a second volume.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sketches of famous and not-so famous American Women. Good launching point for anyone interested in finding out about American history and the role played by women in it.