Hell Hath No Fury: True Stories of Women at War from Antiquity to Iraq

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 416 pages
• Published by: Three Rivers Press February 26, 2008
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0307346374
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0307346377
• Book Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Weighs: 9.6 ounces

Book Description
An engaging collection that uncovers injustices in history and overturns misconceptions about the role of women in war

When you think of war, you think of men, right? Not so fast. In Hell Hath No Fury, Rosalind Miles and Robin Cross prove that although many of their stories have been erased or forgotten, women have played an integral role in wars throughout history.

In witty and compelling biographical essays categorized and alphabetized for easy reference, Miles and Cross introduce us to war leaders (Cleopatra, Elizabeth I, Margaret Thatcher); combatants (Molly Pitcher, Lily Litvak, Tammy Duckworth); spies (Belle Boyd, Virginia Hall, Noor Inayat Khan); reporters and propagandists (Martha Gellhorn, Tokyo Rose, Anna Politkov- skaya); and more. These are women who have taken action and who challenge our perceived notions of womanhood. Some will be familiar to readers, but most will not, though their deeds during wartime were every bit as important as their male contemporaries’ more heralded contributions.

About The Author
ROSALIND MILES, Ph.D., author of Who Cooked the Last Supper?, is a critically acclaimed and internationally bestselling writer, a lecturer and a BBC broadcaster. Military historian ROBIN CROSS is the #1 bestselling author of more than thirty books, a Gulf War reporter, and a former advisor to the UK Ministry of Defence.

Reader Reviews
Gen Douglas MacArthur quoted a popular British song of World War I with "Old Soldiers Never Die; they only fade away" during his change of command speech in 1951. That quote very aptly describes any noble warrior. Rosalind Miles and Robin Cross do female warriors a great service by keeping their stories alive for a new generation in "Hell Hath no Fury: True Stories of Women at War from Antiquity to Iraq." This book is an encyclopedic reference of famous stateswomen, and female leaders who stand out in the annals of history. The book is composed of short essays, each of which provides a footnoted reference to point readers to additional information for each major topic. The book begins by highlighting female heads of state and generals. These chapters offer readers a very balanced look across diverse cultures, from Boudicca, who fought against the Romans; to Nusayba bint Ka'b, who fought at the side of the prophet Muhammad. It also includes glimpses of modern women such as Margaret Thatcher and Condoleezza Rice. The leaders in this chapter come from Africa, Russia, China, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas, and they range in time from B.C. through today. The chapter "Creature Comforts" examines the culture of the "Camp Followers", existent since antiquity (and still found in places like Thailand), serving as cooks and launders. These willing women, are starkly contrasted to the plight of "Comfort Women". The stories in this chapter aren't all sordid - the chapter is balanced with positive examples of organizations such as the United Services Organization and the Red Cross. The authors continue balancing stories from across multiple cultures in subsequent chapters of famous care providers (Dorothea Dix, Clara Barton, Florence Nightingale), traitors (Mata Hari), war correspondents (Christiane Amanpour), and even women who are sources of national shame (Lynndie England of Abu Ghraib fame). From reading the chapter "At the Sharp End", one would think that the United States has cornered the market on courageous women. The book offers glimpses of modern organizational policies on women in combat for many countries. These organizational differences are interesting, but it's the stories of the individuals that are captivating. Two Russians and one German woman grace the pages of this chapter, but the balance is very American heavy. This chapter is also home to my main criticism. The detailed description of the rescue of Pfc Jessica Lynch merited is almost as long as the vignette of Joan of Arc. The space would have been better spent on a more positive role model like Maj Rhonda Cornum, a flight surgeon who was captured during the 1990 Gulf War. Her testimony before Congress led to the easing of restrictions on where US military women could serve. Colonel Cornum went on to command two major Army medical centers, and still serves with pride today. She certainly deserves more than the two paragraphs she merited. Overall, the book does well in providing enough information to make you familiar with these women and in providing you with well documented references to find more information on every major topic in the book. The warriors in this book will be proud in the manner their stories are told to another generation. Comment | | (Report this)