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Uncontrollable Women: Radicals, Reformers and Revolutionaries
Uncontrollable Women is a history of radical, reformist and revolutionary women between the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789 and the passing of the Great Reform Act in 1832. Very few of them are well-known today; some were unknown even in their own day. All of them contributed something to the world we now inhabit.
At a time when women were supposed to leave politics to men they spoke, wrote, marched, organised, asked questions, challenged power structures, sometimes went to prison and even died. History has not usually been kind to them, and they have frequently been pushed into asides or footnotes, dismissed as secondary, or spoken over, for, or through by men and sometimes other women. In this book, they take centre stage in both their own stories and those of others, and in doing so bring different voices to the more familiar accounts of the period. These women and many others played a part in developing political ideas and freedoms as we know them today, and some fought battles which still remain to be won or raised questions that are still unresolved. These are their stories.
At a time when women were supposed to leave politics to men they spoke, wrote, marched, organised, asked questions, challenged power structures, sometimes went to prison and even died. History has not usually been kind to them, and they have frequently been pushed into asides or footnotes, dismissed as secondary, or spoken over, for, or through by men and sometimes other women. In this book, they take centre stage in both their own stories and those of others, and in doing so bring different voices to the more familiar accounts of the period. These women and many others played a part in developing political ideas and freedoms as we know them today, and some fought battles which still remain to be won or raised questions that are still unresolved. These are their stories.
304 pages, Hardcover
Published January 27, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 9, 2022
‘I told him I was not a felon, and that I would not be treated as one. His answer was, that there were many women in Newgate who had been well off, and who were obliged to sleep on the floor: there have been two hundred at once sleeping on those mats. Two hundred did you say? Yes. Then more shame for you. Had I been one of them I would have excited a rebellion against you…’
The years between the advent of the French Revolution and the passing of the Great Reform Act were a period of intense political activism in Great Britain. Though they are often overlooked in history books, there were many women who played prominent parts in agitating for political reform.
This book highlights the contribution of British working-class women in the political arena in issues ranging from separation of church and state to freedom of the press to the French Revolution. I liked that the author focused on lesser-known figures – too often the mainstream narrative consists only of upper class women seeking universal suffrage which is, while important, only a partial picture of what female reformers were up to at the time.
I liked the author’s style of writing, which is straightforward and easy to follow. She weave the stories of separate women together into a larger narrative that spans the era under study, placing them in context deftly. She also covers a wide variety of women, including those we might not traditionally consider political rebels, such as Jane Carlile who went to prison for running her husband’s banned books shop.
However, I did wish that the author touched upon the background events that affected the women a little bit more. The reader is presumed to be at least somewhat familiar with British history – I was able to follow along with my eighth grade social studies class knowledge – but I doubt many American-educated readers would know much about this era. I also thought the writing lost focus at times when it delved into the actions of the more documented men involved.
Overall, this was a really interesting and accessible read about little-known historical figures who deserve the attention.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
The years between the advent of the French Revolution and the passing of the Great Reform Act were a period of intense political activism in Great Britain. Though they are often overlooked in history books, there were many women who played prominent parts in agitating for political reform.
This book highlights the contribution of British working-class women in the political arena in issues ranging from separation of church and state to freedom of the press to the French Revolution. I liked that the author focused on lesser-known figures – too often the mainstream narrative consists only of upper class women seeking universal suffrage which is, while important, only a partial picture of what female reformers were up to at the time.
I liked the author’s style of writing, which is straightforward and easy to follow. She weave the stories of separate women together into a larger narrative that spans the era under study, placing them in context deftly. She also covers a wide variety of women, including those we might not traditionally consider political rebels, such as Jane Carlile who went to prison for running her husband’s banned books shop.
However, I did wish that the author touched upon the background events that affected the women a little bit more. The reader is presumed to be at least somewhat familiar with British history – I was able to follow along with my eighth grade social studies class knowledge – but I doubt many American-educated readers would know much about this era. I also thought the writing lost focus at times when it delved into the actions of the more documented men involved.
Overall, this was a really interesting and accessible read about little-known historical figures who deserve the attention.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
January 23, 2022
Nan Sloane, Uncontrollable Women Radicals, Reformers and Revolutionaries, Bloomsbury Academic, 2022.
Thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury Academic for this uncorrected proof in exchange for an honest review.
This book is divided into four sections, Frantic ‘Midst the Democratic Storm; More Turbulent than the Men; Monsters in Female Form; and Women Without Masters. The historical context is laid out, beginning in Part One with The French Revolution; then moving to the British situation for parts two to four with the 1790s action in areas around Manchester and Leeds associated with the Industrial Revolution; the aftermath of the St Peter’s Field carnage, with particular attention to the treatment of women; and, lastly, women’s contribution to organising for parliamentary reform. The book ends with the success of the 1832 Great Reform Act.
Some women, such as Mary Wollstonecraft and Anna Letitia Barbauld, are familiar; and Anna Doyle Wheeler’s portrait appears in the National Portrait Gallery. At times their links to the less well-known women who feature later in the book, seem somewhat tenuous. However, as they largely feature in specialist accounts it could be fair to say that their role in this book demonstrates how even women of note rarely appear in mainstream activist narratives. More fascinating are the early women activists referred to by Nan Sloane, sometimes about whom little is known, and who have not even made it into specialist histories. Sloane’s perceptive comment, that female revolutionaries and activists may not have always been feminists or have fitted neatly into writing about feminist history may be why this has happened. This is not a pejorative comment, after all, feminist writers have found a plethora of feminists who need to be brought into the open. However, it could be a pertinent gauntlet thrown down to historians writing women into history. Nan Sloane has deftly woven her material together so that here we have a history that opens the doors to such writing.
The meticulous work that went into finding the snippets of information about women, some of whom appear for an instance, others for a little longer, still others only because a man has commented on their activity, is impressive. What a valuable resource this is for women who want to demonstrate that we have always been in radical movements, never absent from political activity, important resources in physical efforts to make a case. Women have been, as Nan Sloane so cogently and engagingly writes, anywhere that it is possible to be. They have been writers, activists, prisoners, the butt of brutality in word and deed, a few words in a public document, the focus of a lengthier diatribe about the way in which they should behave. They have also been supportive wives and dedicated mothers challenging the poverty and discrimination that their families suffer. Single women have joined causes on behalf of married women, and women have supported men demanding the franchise. Women asked questions, organised and ensured that their voices were heard – if only for short periods, a gasp as they were punished for doing so, a shout in victory, short lived or not.
We now know more about women’s activities and even have some more names to add to those of Mary Wollstonecraft, Anna Letitia Barbauld and Anna Doyle Wheeler who set the scene during the French Revolution with which this valuable history opened. As an avid reader of Sheila Rowbotham’s Hidden from History, which is mentioned in the excellent Introduction, I was thrilled to find this new effort to publicise women and their wide range of activities which denote them as ‘uncontrollable’. Nan Sloane’s book does this in the engaging manner and voice that such women deserve.
An index, detailed notes, a good bibliography and illustrations complete this worth addition to women's history..
Thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury Academic for this uncorrected proof in exchange for an honest review.
This book is divided into four sections, Frantic ‘Midst the Democratic Storm; More Turbulent than the Men; Monsters in Female Form; and Women Without Masters. The historical context is laid out, beginning in Part One with The French Revolution; then moving to the British situation for parts two to four with the 1790s action in areas around Manchester and Leeds associated with the Industrial Revolution; the aftermath of the St Peter’s Field carnage, with particular attention to the treatment of women; and, lastly, women’s contribution to organising for parliamentary reform. The book ends with the success of the 1832 Great Reform Act.
Some women, such as Mary Wollstonecraft and Anna Letitia Barbauld, are familiar; and Anna Doyle Wheeler’s portrait appears in the National Portrait Gallery. At times their links to the less well-known women who feature later in the book, seem somewhat tenuous. However, as they largely feature in specialist accounts it could be fair to say that their role in this book demonstrates how even women of note rarely appear in mainstream activist narratives. More fascinating are the early women activists referred to by Nan Sloane, sometimes about whom little is known, and who have not even made it into specialist histories. Sloane’s perceptive comment, that female revolutionaries and activists may not have always been feminists or have fitted neatly into writing about feminist history may be why this has happened. This is not a pejorative comment, after all, feminist writers have found a plethora of feminists who need to be brought into the open. However, it could be a pertinent gauntlet thrown down to historians writing women into history. Nan Sloane has deftly woven her material together so that here we have a history that opens the doors to such writing.
The meticulous work that went into finding the snippets of information about women, some of whom appear for an instance, others for a little longer, still others only because a man has commented on their activity, is impressive. What a valuable resource this is for women who want to demonstrate that we have always been in radical movements, never absent from political activity, important resources in physical efforts to make a case. Women have been, as Nan Sloane so cogently and engagingly writes, anywhere that it is possible to be. They have been writers, activists, prisoners, the butt of brutality in word and deed, a few words in a public document, the focus of a lengthier diatribe about the way in which they should behave. They have also been supportive wives and dedicated mothers challenging the poverty and discrimination that their families suffer. Single women have joined causes on behalf of married women, and women have supported men demanding the franchise. Women asked questions, organised and ensured that their voices were heard – if only for short periods, a gasp as they were punished for doing so, a shout in victory, short lived or not.
We now know more about women’s activities and even have some more names to add to those of Mary Wollstonecraft, Anna Letitia Barbauld and Anna Doyle Wheeler who set the scene during the French Revolution with which this valuable history opened. As an avid reader of Sheila Rowbotham’s Hidden from History, which is mentioned in the excellent Introduction, I was thrilled to find this new effort to publicise women and their wide range of activities which denote them as ‘uncontrollable’. Nan Sloane’s book does this in the engaging manner and voice that such women deserve.
An index, detailed notes, a good bibliography and illustrations complete this worth addition to women's history..
January 11, 2022
Overview:
During a time and place that women were supposed to leave politics to men, many women became activists. Taking up causes, promoting them, fighting for them, and even dying for them. Politically active not just for voting rights, but also politically engaged for various other causes, such as freedom of thought and the political structure. As these women were breaching the social structure of the time, they were persecuted. Women were oppressed structurally rather than accidentally. Value systems change with time, with this era being framed by religion and class which influenced the way these women thought about others, as the women in this book held narrow-minded ideas about other people, even other women. Along the way, a demystification of life for women at the time. In many of the cases, the women were forced by circumstance to become radical activists as alternatives were not available. In others, women accepted things as they were. Providing an account of the social and political circumstances of the time.
Caveats?
The book can sometimes be a bit difficult to read. Having background knowledge in British history during the 18th-19th century would be very helpful in understanding many of this book’s topics and references.
During a time and place that women were supposed to leave politics to men, many women became activists. Taking up causes, promoting them, fighting for them, and even dying for them. Politically active not just for voting rights, but also politically engaged for various other causes, such as freedom of thought and the political structure. As these women were breaching the social structure of the time, they were persecuted. Women were oppressed structurally rather than accidentally. Value systems change with time, with this era being framed by religion and class which influenced the way these women thought about others, as the women in this book held narrow-minded ideas about other people, even other women. Along the way, a demystification of life for women at the time. In many of the cases, the women were forced by circumstance to become radical activists as alternatives were not available. In others, women accepted things as they were. Providing an account of the social and political circumstances of the time.
Caveats?
The book can sometimes be a bit difficult to read. Having background knowledge in British history during the 18th-19th century would be very helpful in understanding many of this book’s topics and references.
October 16, 2022
Sigh. Will these experiences ever become history in the sense that we can look back and think, “wow, sure glad we don’t have to deal with THAT anymore.”
January 23, 2022
Uncontrollable Women: Radicals, Reformers and Revolutionaries by Nan Sloane is an excellent account of the often overlooked (then as well as now) working class women in the period from roughly 1789 to 1832. Sloane makes no claim to comprehensiveness, largely because a lot has yet to be uncovered, and in fact hopes this will be just one of many such recoveries of women's voices.
In case any potential readers are concerned because they aren't well versed in British history, don't be too concerned. I'm not sure what some people did or didn't read, but the introduction to the book as well as the introduction to each part offers a sufficient context for understanding what these women were responding to. In fact, it would be hard to write about them without making these things fairly clear. Would a better knowledge of the period help? Of course, but it would only really serve to give the reader more nuance. The big picture and the debates of the period are covered here for contextualization. Just read every intro and don't skip to the chapters. In other words, be an active reader.
The point of this book is to recover and highlight the contributions made by middle-class and working-class women to the political debates of the time. As such Sloane succeeds in bringing these voices to life and illustrating how the division between spheres for men and women was more porous than we sometimes think.
As an addition to feminist history I would recommend this book to scholars and lay historians alike. I also found the writing to be such that it makes an excellent read for those simply with an interest in the topic and the desire to read an interesting book.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
In case any potential readers are concerned because they aren't well versed in British history, don't be too concerned. I'm not sure what some people did or didn't read, but the introduction to the book as well as the introduction to each part offers a sufficient context for understanding what these women were responding to. In fact, it would be hard to write about them without making these things fairly clear. Would a better knowledge of the period help? Of course, but it would only really serve to give the reader more nuance. The big picture and the debates of the period are covered here for contextualization. Just read every intro and don't skip to the chapters. In other words, be an active reader.
The point of this book is to recover and highlight the contributions made by middle-class and working-class women to the political debates of the time. As such Sloane succeeds in bringing these voices to life and illustrating how the division between spheres for men and women was more porous than we sometimes think.
As an addition to feminist history I would recommend this book to scholars and lay historians alike. I also found the writing to be such that it makes an excellent read for those simply with an interest in the topic and the desire to read an interesting book.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
October 19, 2024
Just a little bit too dry for my tastes as a reader. I didn't find the same with Nan Sloane's "The Women in the Room" which I can only presume is because it was a period of history that I was very familiar with and that the sources available for research were far more numerous.
What I really appreciate with the way that Nan Sloane writes her books is that they are history written about specific periods, but they are history written about specific periods that take the care and attention to present the role of women. See? It isn't all that hard! This was apparent again in this book, Sloane detailing a time of significant social and economic upheaval which culminated in the Peterloo Massacre. The difficulty, which Sloane acknowledged herself, is that there isn't actually all that much information available about women in that period as they either weren't educated and able to write or their value was overlooked so their documents weren't preserved! As a result, a lot of the focus in this book is on specific middle-class women which, while valid, perhaps doesn't give as full a picture of the role that women were playing in pushing for reform. This resulted in a book that was a lot of heavy detailing of context and the activities of male figures with female activity only drip-fed into the narrative.
Nan Sloane's exasperated commitment to reminding the world that women's political activity and drive wasn't purely restricted to the suffrage movement continues to be delightful *and* valuable though!
What I really appreciate with the way that Nan Sloane writes her books is that they are history written about specific periods, but they are history written about specific periods that take the care and attention to present the role of women. See? It isn't all that hard! This was apparent again in this book, Sloane detailing a time of significant social and economic upheaval which culminated in the Peterloo Massacre. The difficulty, which Sloane acknowledged herself, is that there isn't actually all that much information available about women in that period as they either weren't educated and able to write or their value was overlooked so their documents weren't preserved! As a result, a lot of the focus in this book is on specific middle-class women which, while valid, perhaps doesn't give as full a picture of the role that women were playing in pushing for reform. This resulted in a book that was a lot of heavy detailing of context and the activities of male figures with female activity only drip-fed into the narrative.
Nan Sloane's exasperated commitment to reminding the world that women's political activity and drive wasn't purely restricted to the suffrage movement continues to be delightful *and* valuable though!
February 22, 2022
Thank you so much NetGalley and Bloomsbury Academic for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Reading this book was fun to read since I've never read a history book other than school related ones (I know). I feel like reading books like this is very important since you might not actually learn about this in school. As for me it was a little difficult and took me awhile to read since I am not very knowledgeable about history especially world history. But this is a great read to explore different genres and I definitely recommend if you want to try to something new or learn about different passages of women in history. Definitely has made me want to read more books in this genre.
Posted on Goodreads on: 2/21/2022
Reading this book was fun to read since I've never read a history book other than school related ones (I know). I feel like reading books like this is very important since you might not actually learn about this in school. As for me it was a little difficult and took me awhile to read since I am not very knowledgeable about history especially world history. But this is a great read to explore different genres and I definitely recommend if you want to try to something new or learn about different passages of women in history. Definitely has made me want to read more books in this genre.
Posted on Goodreads on: 2/21/2022
March 19, 2022
A very interesting collection of women. All lived around the same age, the second half of the 19th century, early 20th century. They are mostly forgotten by now, but their unquestionable bravery and radical views were undeniably paving the way for the fundamental rights of women which we take for granted now. They organised and challenged men to do better by them - mostly in vain. However, one cannot do anything else but marvel at their contribution to our world today. Some of the responses they received were just plain ridicule, but the scenes describing the Peterloo Massacre makes your blood freeze/boil.
Nan Sloan has put together an excellent book based on extensive research, which is informative and enjoyable to read despite the sometimes very grim subject.
Nan Sloan has put together an excellent book based on extensive research, which is informative and enjoyable to read despite the sometimes very grim subject.
March 24, 2022
Thanks to NetGalley, I got to read this book and learn about how women engaged in politics and activism, not only to fight for women's rights but also religious freedom and the separation of the church and state. Frankly, I don't have prior knowledge of women's rights and politics in England during the turn of the 19th century but I got a nice introduction on this topic. I definitely want to learn more.
I also liked how this book discussed racism and classism in women's politics and how men were allies in women's rights movements. However, I wished that this book went more in depth of the impact these events had in the future of women's rights and intersectionality in England and the rest of Europe like France.
I also liked how this book discussed racism and classism in women's politics and how men were allies in women's rights movements. However, I wished that this book went more in depth of the impact these events had in the future of women's rights and intersectionality in England and the rest of Europe like France.
April 22, 2023
It was alright. Probably my fault, but it focused on England during the like 1800s, and how women were part of calls for reform and were part of radical groups, during that time period, but didn't spotlight women's roles in said movement as much as I wished it did. There were more than a few moments, where the books focused on how women helped men, more than showing how women stood on their own. This is not to discount the role women played (and currently play) in aiding men, but that wasn't what I wanted from this book.
April 2, 2022
This was fascinating and such a good read. I absolutely loved how it went into the history and not only white feminists but also black woman who fought for their rights. I loved learning about the events and little known women activists. The authors writing style was really easy and well done.
July 19, 2022
Unearths some of the voices from the late C18th into early C19th radical women, working-class and middle-class, who through force of circumstances have been largely unheard.
February 2, 2023
honestly non fiction writers need to make concerted effort to make their books more interesting. This was like wading through treacle
May 23, 2022
"Uncontrollable Women" is a non-fiction book about lesser-known female activists of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It was interesting to read about how women were involved in political and social reforms outside of the women's movement and how and why their participation and successes were later on denied or hidden.
Sadly, I lacked some of the historical background to really make the most of this novel.
Sadly, I lacked some of the historical background to really make the most of this novel.
April 5, 2025
Nan Sloane has done an excellent job in detailing, as much as possible, the lives of women who had an impact of politics, before women were even able to have a proper voice within politics. She explores the lives of women – notably working-class women – who have historically been overlooked in the roles they’ve played, and the ways they used what they had at their disposal to avoid being ignored.
Sloane has deliberately set out to find women who are different to the usually upper class voices we hear about when it comes to feminism. But she also explores those women who may not be counted among feminist heroes, but who fought their own battles in their own ways, some through supporting their husbands or simply being in the wrong places at the wrong times, who may have never given consideration to the idea of women getting the vote, but who had an impact outside the sphere of feminism.
I really like Sloane’s approach here, and it truly feels like no stone was unturned in searching for these women. Sloane has deliberately unearthed the overlooked, and through Uncontrollable Women she brings them vividly to life, bringing in as much information as possible to create full pictures of these women. She weaves them in where possible, and shows the extraordinary lives of these women without it becoming dry in tone.
This is really worthwhile book and raises some interesting questions about who we admire and focus on in history, and spotlights how leaving particular people outside of the historical account leaves you with only half a picture, not just of these women but of the people around them, too, revealing the full complexities within history itself.
Sloane has deliberately set out to find women who are different to the usually upper class voices we hear about when it comes to feminism. But she also explores those women who may not be counted among feminist heroes, but who fought their own battles in their own ways, some through supporting their husbands or simply being in the wrong places at the wrong times, who may have never given consideration to the idea of women getting the vote, but who had an impact outside the sphere of feminism.
I really like Sloane’s approach here, and it truly feels like no stone was unturned in searching for these women. Sloane has deliberately unearthed the overlooked, and through Uncontrollable Women she brings them vividly to life, bringing in as much information as possible to create full pictures of these women. She weaves them in where possible, and shows the extraordinary lives of these women without it becoming dry in tone.
This is really worthwhile book and raises some interesting questions about who we admire and focus on in history, and spotlights how leaving particular people outside of the historical account leaves you with only half a picture, not just of these women but of the people around them, too, revealing the full complexities within history itself.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews