Normal Women: 900 years of making history

Looking at the historical record over the years, history has generally been told via the lives of men. In Normal Women, Philippa Gregory has used a variety of sources to look at the role of women in Britain during 900 years.

The book is divided into historical time-frames - 1066-1348 Doomsday; 1348-1455 Women Rising; 1455-1485 Women at War; 1485-1660 Becoming a Weaker Vessel; 1660-1764 Locked Out and Locked In; 1765-1857 Making a Lady; 1857-1928 Separate Spheres; 1928-1945 Into the World; 1945-1994 A Woman Today.

In each section the author looks at the way women have been treated by family and society including the power held by some women during some time frames. Sexual attitudes to women and their perceived role in the society in which they lived is also provided.

This is an informative, well referenced examination of the role of women in daily life and the life of the nation.

Detailed notes and a select bibliography appear at the end of the book along with the index.