Book Review: The Suffragettes

Any woman who wants to educate herself on the suffragette movement should read this book. Any woman who wants to pay some sort of homage to those who fought for her vote in this country should read this book. Any person – irrespective of gender – who wants to learn about a part of British history glossed over at school should read this book.

The Suffragettes is a Penguin Little Black Classic – a collection of 126 short books. It’s number 94 and it is a great starting point for anyone on the quest for knowledge about women’s history. The small book – just over fifty pages in total – is a collection of pamphlets, speeches, letters, posters and propaganda collected from the time of the movement at the beginning of the 1900s up to the first female’s election to Parliament, Constance Markievicz.

Aside from Emmeline Pankhurst’s iconic – and utterly compelling – ‘Freedom or death’ speech, the most interesting part of this hidden gem is definitely the anti-suffrage movement. Not only men, but women – yes, I’m being deadly serious  had a strong opposition to their own sisters getting the vote. They thought it was utterly wrong.

However, what did make me chuckle a little bit was one of the reasons against women getting the vote. As soon as they could, they would be the voting majority which would apparently make men “subordinates”. I do love a good scare tactic sometimes. Especially when it backfires (as they always do).

At £1 from Amazon, you can’t really say no to having a read of The Suffragettes. It’s quick, informative, entertaining and a compelling introduction to the suffragette movement in Britain.