Jack Holland (1) (1947–2004)

This is an excellent overview of the (mostly Western) history of misogyny, with many welcome philosophical hypotheses added by the author. As such, this isn't merely a history book, as in several cases, the author states his opinion very plainly (Without these asides, I doubt many would make it through such a litany of injustices). There is some attempt made to explore Eastern and Middle Eastern misogyny, but most of the events described stick to the standard Western history markers. Even show more so, the points and connections made are universal enough to make this required and highly engaging reading for any person interested in history or prejudice. show less

I listened to this as an audio book, which had both advantages and disadvantages. I was able to read a maddening subject in small bites, and yet there were many passages I needed to rewind and replay a few times to truly grasp. The narrator's upper crust British accent made the highly descriptive language seem a tad less upsetting.

The author covers centuries of misogynistic behaviors and beliefs in a relatively short book, which is amazing since misogyny exists in practically every culture show more throughout history. That fact alone is wildly depressing.

Listening to the sexual and feminist issues of Ancient Rome and Greece is one thing. But when the book reached Victorian times or the discussion of misogyny around the time of Hitler (including his own) it becomes utterly chilling.

He also includes a detailed explanation of misogyny in the Middle East and Afghanistan, even as it relates to the radicalization of Islam. Again, deeply disturbing.

From the book:

"In this dualistic vision of the world, the hated group represents "the other" and the women of that group are usually seen as the most contemptible aspect of the perceived "otherness," that is its feminine form.

The history of the last hundred years is a depressing chronicle of atrocities carried out under the influence of this intoxicatingly simple view of the world as being divided into "us" and "them." From the rake of Nanking, then the capital of China, by the Japanese in 1937 to the Hindu nationalist massacre of Muslims in Western India in March 2002, vulnerable women have suffered from the misogyny that always accompanies the racial and religious hatred stirred up by nationalism."

This book isn't easy to stomach, but that's the point. So worth the effort! show less

I love historical fiction, especially those set in medieval England (or imagined setting like it). This is a story similar to the historical legend of Boudica, the Iceni queen who defied the Roman Empire. An engaging heroine, lots of action and a good story make this worth finding.

The author takes a tour through the prejudice that underlies so much of civilization - a distrust, even hatred for, women as a group. He doesn't attempt to read misogyny into ancient cave paintings and carvings (nor does he try to read in matriarchal society); instead, he begins with the ancient Greeks and Romans, and moves gradually through the passing centuries, stopping at key points in history to examine what has - and hasn't - changed. To say this work is depressing would be an show more understatement. It brings home forcefully how far we've come from the ancient superstitions that consigned women to flames as witches, but reminds us of how very far we still have to go. There are some weaknesses with the book, mostly related to the broad scope of such an all-encompassing work that resulted in a fairly superficial treatment of some crucial junctions in history, particularly in early Christianity. I'm not sure if it's the result of trying to be brief, or if it's simply a lack of in-depth knowledge on his part, but his discussion of the roots of Christianity is remarkably simplistic, especially considering how very crucial that period is to understanding the current sociopolitical scene where women are concerned. He treats early Christianity as a monolithic phenomenon, rising fully sprung out of the fertile soil of the Middle East, ignoring the rich diversity of early Christianity, such as the gnostics. This is a definite weakness, as the early Christian approach to women was much more varied than presented here, and the battles that were fought over what would be orthodox and what would be heterodox could be crucial to understanding how - and why - women have been relegated to the background in the world's largest religion (if you consider Christianity to be one religion). The section on the witch trials was interesting, but again rather superficial in the analysis. Overall, it's good if you just want an appetizer before digging in to the main course of study, but if you only read one book on misogyny and plan to go around regaling your friends with your depth of knowledge about the topic, this probably shouldn't be the book. It's just too superficial. show less