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Breaking Through: How Female Athletes Shattered Stereotypes in the Roaring Twenties
Award-winning author Sue Macy offers a fresh and timely account of women in sports in the 1920s, and how their determination, talent, and defiance in the face of criticism promoted women's rights, redefined femininity, and changed the course of history.
Macy offers a rare and fascinating glimpse into the journey of women's rights through the lens of women in sports during the pivotal decade of the 1920s. With elegant prose, poignant wit, and fascinating primary sources, Macy explores the many hurdles presented to female athletes as they stormed the field, stepped up to bat, and won the right to compete in sports. Featuring bold and talented heroines, this book documents how the social issues and morals of the decade--from politics to segregation to the media--helped shape the changing narratives around women and alter the course of history entirely. It is a fascinating window into a rich and seldom explored history, and also a topical reminder of the many discussions surrounding femininity and the role of women that continue today.
Macy offers a rare and fascinating glimpse into the journey of women's rights through the lens of women in sports during the pivotal decade of the 1920s. With elegant prose, poignant wit, and fascinating primary sources, Macy explores the many hurdles presented to female athletes as they stormed the field, stepped up to bat, and won the right to compete in sports. Featuring bold and talented heroines, this book documents how the social issues and morals of the decade--from politics to segregation to the media--helped shape the changing narratives around women and alter the course of history entirely. It is a fascinating window into a rich and seldom explored history, and also a topical reminder of the many discussions surrounding femininity and the role of women that continue today.
96 pages, Hardcover
First published February 4, 2020
45 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 15, 2020
This book is packed with photos, timelines and well-researched facts about the history of women in sports. Most of this was new information for me, but there were a few I recognized, Babe Didrikson, Billy Jean King and Gertrude Ederle. I hope this book finds a place on our school library shelves. Women athletes deserve to have their stories told.
January 24, 2020
"We play for the love of the game, and we are determined to carry on." - Alice Kell, Captain of the Dick Kerr Ladies soccer team, 1921.
In the 1920s there were few opportunities for women in sports, either as part of the education system in schools or in the professional realm. This book tells about the women and girls who pushed for more sports education, better equipment and access, and for recognition in professional competitions.
I am not an athlete by any means, but I was inspired to see these stories of women who broke the barriers and strove for excellence in their sports. This book has stories, biographical accounts, sports stats, newspaper articles from the 1920s, quotes from famous athletes of the era, and even the stories of people who opposed women's involvement in sports.
With stunning black and white photographs, this book captures the fiery spirit of these early athletes! The photographs are full of action and movement, showing the grit and steel of the women as they push and strive and conquer.
I really like the writing style. It brings in the emotional element of the history, bringing you close to the women, but also keeps an unbiased style, giving the plain facts and not passing judgement on any event or person. I like this, because it allows the reader to decide for themselves what their opinion is on the history.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts and are not influenced by anyone.
In the 1920s there were few opportunities for women in sports, either as part of the education system in schools or in the professional realm. This book tells about the women and girls who pushed for more sports education, better equipment and access, and for recognition in professional competitions.
I am not an athlete by any means, but I was inspired to see these stories of women who broke the barriers and strove for excellence in their sports. This book has stories, biographical accounts, sports stats, newspaper articles from the 1920s, quotes from famous athletes of the era, and even the stories of people who opposed women's involvement in sports.
With stunning black and white photographs, this book captures the fiery spirit of these early athletes! The photographs are full of action and movement, showing the grit and steel of the women as they push and strive and conquer.
I really like the writing style. It brings in the emotional element of the history, bringing you close to the women, but also keeps an unbiased style, giving the plain facts and not passing judgement on any event or person. I like this, because it allows the reader to decide for themselves what their opinion is on the history.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts and are not influenced by anyone.
June 13, 2020
Can you think of any famous female athletes from the 1920s? No? I couldn't either. I think that's a pretty good example of how little has been written about those forward-thinking women who had to do more than train and compete in their sport; they had to fight social prejudices to do so.
Yesterday I went running. I wore running shoes, a tank, and shorts. Average garb for runners, right? Less than 100 years ago, in November 1922, Julia Durrant, a sophomore at the University of Washington, was banned from competing in any athletics for the rest of the quarter because she did something terrible--she wore men's running shorts.....
Read my full review of this great history book here: https://agoodreid.blogspot.com/2020/0...
Yesterday I went running. I wore running shoes, a tank, and shorts. Average garb for runners, right? Less than 100 years ago, in November 1922, Julia Durrant, a sophomore at the University of Washington, was banned from competing in any athletics for the rest of the quarter because she did something terrible--she wore men's running shorts.....
Read my full review of this great history book here: https://agoodreid.blogspot.com/2020/0...
January 30, 2024
Copy provided by the publisher
One hundred years ago. When I was growing up, this seemed like an impossibly long time in the past. The Civil War had just ended! Everything about daily life was drastically different. And now... one hundred years ago, there were cars, refrigerators, knee length dresses, and women playing sports.
As in her Wheels of Change and Motor Girls, Macy presents an astonishing array of information about women in all manner of sports, as well as extremely helpful timelines about other history going on at the time. History textbooks often fail in showing cultural background for events, so I was glad to see two page spreads about events as varied as Prohibition, Lindbergh's Flight and the discovery of penicillin in between chapters, as well as an epilogue detailing important events up to the present time. For young people who struggle to place World War II in history, timelines are an important inclusion.
The array of photographs accompanying all of this information is amazing, and really helps with understanding items like the long skirts on the Vassar Resolutes' 1876 baseball uniforms or the swim suits on the 1924 women's Olympic swim team. I was especially drawn to the running shoes, which looked like they offered no support whatsoever. It must have been difficult to locate all of these, but they add tremendously to the text.
The sheer amount of information about women's sports in the 1920s (and a bit before) is impressive. Swimming, baseball, basketball, ice skating, golf, track and field, rowing, aviation, tennis, hockey and even football (soccer) are covered, showcasing outstanding individuals but also giving background about the state of the endeavor for women in general. Of especial interest is the inclusion of the contributions of women of color, as well as the note that some ethnic populations were not found in news articles. Not only are events and individuals covered, but there is discussion on how the public saw women's sports. Young readers born after half court basketball was ended will be shocked to find that it was considered a given that women were "too delicate" for sports, and that female athletes would feel compelled to show they could dress and make themselves up according to feminine ideals at the time also excel at housewifery! My favorite line has got to be Paul Gallico's "If there is anything more dreadful aesthetically or more depressing than the fatigue-distorted face of a girl runner at the finish line, I have never seen it." Don't think Paul did much running!
The epilogue, with a timeline about highlights in the evolution of women's sports, shows the advances and challenges in the last 100 years. Certainly, there is still progress to be made, and it is helpful to be inspired by women who fought against much greater odds to insure that women and girls would have an equal playing field and as much opportunity as possible. If you have readers who are very interested in this topic, hand them this book along with Jessie Graham Flower's 1911 Grace Harlowe's sophomore year at high school, or, The record of the girl chums in work and athletics. Grace's basketball team's experiences will seem all the more important after reading about the challenges girls faced a decade later!
Breaking Through is a must purchase for all school libraries, and will get equal use for research and for pleasure reading. In fact, since the National History Day theme this year is "Breaking Barriers", it is essential to obtain this title immediately. I'm going to make sure I have two copies, since Macy's works (including the 1996 Winning Ways) are always in demand, and I'm tempted to get a third to deconstruct and make into a bulletin board, which I often consider but never do!
One hundred years ago. When I was growing up, this seemed like an impossibly long time in the past. The Civil War had just ended! Everything about daily life was drastically different. And now... one hundred years ago, there were cars, refrigerators, knee length dresses, and women playing sports.
As in her Wheels of Change and Motor Girls, Macy presents an astonishing array of information about women in all manner of sports, as well as extremely helpful timelines about other history going on at the time. History textbooks often fail in showing cultural background for events, so I was glad to see two page spreads about events as varied as Prohibition, Lindbergh's Flight and the discovery of penicillin in between chapters, as well as an epilogue detailing important events up to the present time. For young people who struggle to place World War II in history, timelines are an important inclusion.
The array of photographs accompanying all of this information is amazing, and really helps with understanding items like the long skirts on the Vassar Resolutes' 1876 baseball uniforms or the swim suits on the 1924 women's Olympic swim team. I was especially drawn to the running shoes, which looked like they offered no support whatsoever. It must have been difficult to locate all of these, but they add tremendously to the text.
The sheer amount of information about women's sports in the 1920s (and a bit before) is impressive. Swimming, baseball, basketball, ice skating, golf, track and field, rowing, aviation, tennis, hockey and even football (soccer) are covered, showcasing outstanding individuals but also giving background about the state of the endeavor for women in general. Of especial interest is the inclusion of the contributions of women of color, as well as the note that some ethnic populations were not found in news articles. Not only are events and individuals covered, but there is discussion on how the public saw women's sports. Young readers born after half court basketball was ended will be shocked to find that it was considered a given that women were "too delicate" for sports, and that female athletes would feel compelled to show they could dress and make themselves up according to feminine ideals at the time also excel at housewifery! My favorite line has got to be Paul Gallico's "If there is anything more dreadful aesthetically or more depressing than the fatigue-distorted face of a girl runner at the finish line, I have never seen it." Don't think Paul did much running!
The epilogue, with a timeline about highlights in the evolution of women's sports, shows the advances and challenges in the last 100 years. Certainly, there is still progress to be made, and it is helpful to be inspired by women who fought against much greater odds to insure that women and girls would have an equal playing field and as much opportunity as possible. If you have readers who are very interested in this topic, hand them this book along with Jessie Graham Flower's 1911 Grace Harlowe's sophomore year at high school, or, The record of the girl chums in work and athletics. Grace's basketball team's experiences will seem all the more important after reading about the challenges girls faced a decade later!
Breaking Through is a must purchase for all school libraries, and will get equal use for research and for pleasure reading. In fact, since the National History Day theme this year is "Breaking Barriers", it is essential to obtain this title immediately. I'm going to make sure I have two copies, since Macy's works (including the 1996 Winning Ways) are always in demand, and I'm tempted to get a third to deconstruct and make into a bulletin board, which I often consider but never do!
January 6, 2021
I like when several books intersect with each other. I've recently read picture book biographies of several of the women mentioned, and I've also read a YA book with a few chapters about the history of women in sport, so this drilled down on that subject. This was a good explanation of the changes and various societal pressures going on for women, and how the sportswomen affected and were affected by these factors. Lots of small details about individual women and their careers kept the pace moving, and while the author's sympathies were clearly with the women who wanted to compete rather than with the forces arguing that competition and even activity were somehow unfeminine it doesn't come across as unduly polemical.
I appreciated how the book addressed both rich women's sports and also the Black community and what they were doing, and not as a special section but just as part of a history of women in sport.
I appreciated how the book addressed both rich women's sports and also the Black community and what they were doing, and not as a special section but just as part of a history of women in sport.
March 2, 2020
Macy shows us that there's more to the 20s than just flappers and prohibition. This book is a great overview of why the 20s were such pivotal years for women in sports. We've still got a ways to go, and from the 20s to now a lot of progress has been made. But the 20s were clearly a time of fast growth when quite a few big leaps were made in athletics. I thought Macy did such a thoughtful job highlighting black athletes, while also acknowledging the double prejudice they would have faced while trying to be recognized as athletes. She even notes that while she would have loved to include Asian, Hispanic, and Native American athletes who were making waves in America in the 20s, many of those records were either never kept or lost to time.
March 28, 2022
This is an extremely motivating and informative story of women athletes and their participation in the 1920s. This was a time period where the woman athlete was not viewed as highly as the male athlete. However, using well drawn illustrations to help share the story, the book highlights the stereotypes these women were able to break to participate in sports and also show the world they would not back done. This is a great read for any young student who wants to feel inspired to make real change in the world.
March 3, 2020
Filled with great photos, excerpts from news articles, and other interesting historical information, Breaking Through is much more than a sports story. It brings the stories of legendary women to the forefront – just where they belong.
For the full review: https://twobookwormsblog.wordpress.co...
For the full review: https://twobookwormsblog.wordpress.co...
March 27, 2020
I enjoyed learning about all of these incredible athletes that broke huge barriers in the 1920's. It was a time of pushing boundaries for women after they finally received the right to vote. It was interesting to read several perspectives of why and how women should participate in sports. These women moved the needle that we are continuing to move today.
February 10, 2020
Beautifully designed, inside and out, with fascinating, well-researched and presented information, this book is a captivating page-turner!
April 23, 2020
Awesome read! I'll even read it a second time. Packed with tons of eye-opening facts, stats, dates, and wonderful pictures. Insightful and engaging. Very informative without being bland.
May 7, 2020
Well laid out, easy to read. Good intro to a lot of cool ladies I have never heard of before.
Read
August 4, 2020Another fascinating book, meticulously researched and engagingly told by Sue Macy! Photos are plentiful and it's beautifully designed.
December 23, 2020
An excellent overview of early women’s sports. Good for jh.
October 12, 2022
Fascinating--see http://www.eatreadandbemommy.com/2022... for details!
October 26, 2022
Two steps forward, one step back.
April 29, 2020
As with her past books about the history of women and bikes, and women and cars, Sue Macy does a superb job telling the story of female athletes in the 1920s. Starting with the 1920 Olympics and Aileen Riggin's gold-winning diving performance, Macy takes the reader through the entire decade of the 1920s sharing stories about female athletes who stepped forward to advocate for the right to participate in sports. She also highlights the opposition they faced, such as James Sullivan who worked to keep women out of the Amateur Athletic Union. Despite such opposition women such as Ida Schnall continued to make a name for themselves in athletics while working to open up more opportunities for women to compete. Using period photographs, newspaper articles, and female athlete spotlights, Macy shows how women refused to let sexist beliefs stop them from pursuing the activities they enjoyed. In the process they began the process of opening up opportunities for women in sports that continues to this day. The book is beautifully designed and well-written. It's a great read for those who enjoy reading about women's history.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews