Book Review: Scandalous Women by Elizabeth Kerri Mahon

May 5, 2011

Article first published as Book Review: Scandalous Women: The Lives and Loves of History’s Most Notorious Women by Elizabeth Kerri Mahon on Blogcritics.

About:

Scandalous Women: The Lives and Loves of History’s Most Notorious Women” by Elizabeth Kerri Mahon (blog | Twitter) is a non-fiction book dedicated to… scandalous women. Each woman is featured in a short biographical chapter.

  • 320 pages
  • Publisher: Perigee Trade
  • Language: English
  • ISBN: 0399536458

The pub­lisher has made avail­able one (1) copy of “Scandalous Women” to be given out– enter at the end of the post.

Buy Scandalous Women from Amazon.com*My rating for Scandalous Women4
Buy Scandalous Women from Amazon.com*
More Books by Elizabeth Kerri Mahon*

Thoughts:

“Scandalous Women” by Elizabeth Kerri Mahon is the kind of book I loved as a young boy. No, not because of the scandalous women, that would come later, but because I always found this format of books fascinating and interesting. These type of short biographies allow me to know about each person and if I want, to research more about them.

Even though I read through this book, it is a book you can just pick up and read, then put down and pick up again a few days later since the chapters are short and are not related to one another. The book is also a must if you ever want to be on “Jeopardy”.

Ms. Mahon’s writing is succinct and she concentrates on the aspect of what made her subject so scandalous. Just keep in mind that the word “scandalous” is in context of the time those women lived in. while in today’s standards they might seem tame, in their lifetime they certainly weren’t.

Each chapter is easy to read and highlights the achievements and prominence of each woman. While the book is by no means a comprehensive biography of its subjects, nor does it claim to be, it is a wonderful introduction to many historical figures.

A special note to the wonderful section headings (Scintillating Seductresses, Amorous Artists, etc.) – that’s something I used to do on my college papers and I appreciate the work, pun, word play and stylized humor wherever I go.

So tell me, who is your favorite scandalous woman and why?

Synopsis:

The book is divided into seven sections. Each section is further divided into short chapters featuring a short biography of a scandalous woman.

Section 1: Warrior Queens
Cleopatra, Boudica, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Joan of Arc, Grace O’Malley

Section 2: Wayward Wives
Émilie du Châtelet, Lady Caroline Lamb, Jane Digby, Violet Trefusis, Zelda Fitzgerald

Section 3: Scintillating Seductresses
Anne Boleyn, Barbara Palmer, Emma Hamilton, Lola Montez, Mata hari

Section 4: Crusading Ladies
Anne Hutchinson, Mary Wollstonecraft, Rose O’Neal Greenhow, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Carry Nation

Section 5: Wild Women of the West
Mary Ellen Pleasant, Sarah Winnemucca, Calamity Jane, Elizabeth “Baby Doe” Tabor, Margaret Tobin Brown

Section 6: Amorous Artists
Camille Claudel, Isadora Duncan, Josephine Baker, Billie Holiday, Frida Kahlo

Section 7: Amazing Adventuresses
Anne Bonney and Mary Read, Lady Hester Stanhope, Anna Leonowens, Gertrude Bell, Amelia Earhart

Buy Scandalous Women from Amazon.com*
More Books by Elizabeth Kerri Mahon*

Give­away

Rules:

  • Con­test is for one (1) new copy of “Scandalous Women”.
  • There will be ONE (1) WINNER
  • Must be a US mail­ing Address
  • Ends Wednesday May 11, 2011
  • Win­ners will be cho­sen using Random.org
  • Win­ners will have 24 hours after my ini­tial con­tact to write back their mail­ing address, oth­er­wise alter­nate win­ners will be picked

Congratulations: jmartinez0415@

Zohar — Man of la Book
Dis­claimer:I got this book for free
*Ama­zon links point to an affil­i­ate account, the money is usually spent on books

Enhanced by Zemanta

BOOK BLOGGERS – Have you read “Scandalous Women”? If so link up your review below:

--- Please like and follow ManOfLaBook.com ---
Summary
Review Date
Reviewed Item
Scandalous Women: The Lives and Loves of History’s Most Notorious Women by Elizabeth Kerri Mahon
Author Rating
41star1star1star1stargray
Product Name
Scandalous Women: The Lives and Loves of History’s Most Notorious Women by Elizabeth Kerri Mahon

Wrap Up

Scandalous Women: The Lives and Loves of History’s Most Notorious Women by Elizabeth Kerri Mahon

10 Comments

  • RyanMay 5, 2011 at 1:46 pm

    I tend to be a sucker for these type of biographical books that deal with one theme. Thanks for the review and the giveaway.

  • MarcMay 6, 2011 at 10:06 am

    My favorite scandalous woman would be Cleopatra although she would probably just as soon have me killed as be nice to me. But hey, a little danger never hurt anyone…unless you did actually get your head chopped off by Cleopatra.

  • vvbMay 6, 2011 at 2:06 pm

    i’d say Lady Gaga. she has “it”.

    • zoharMay 6, 2011 at 2:09 pm

      Yes, she certainly does and good for her.

  • kimbers10May 6, 2011 at 9:30 pm

    This book has been on my To Be Read list for awhile now…looks great!

  • Hira Hasnain (Enamored Soul)May 7, 2011 at 2:14 pm

    Sounds like a FANTASTIC read – I mean, as scandalous as they may be, these are some prominent figures in history. If I win, though, I’d like for Kimbers10 to (above me) get the copy of the book. I know she’s a history buff…and as much as I’d enjoy the book, I am absolutely sure she’d love it and cherish it far more! 😀

    ~Hira~
    GFC Follower: ~Enamored Soul~
    Email: Enamoredsoul(at)gmail(dot)com
    Twitter: @inluvwithbookz

  • booksnobMay 9, 2011 at 7:55 pm

    I am a history teacher who would love this book!

  • rhondaApril 18, 2012 at 9:18 pm

    This book sounds like a delicious read.

  • jenn aka the picky girlApril 18, 2012 at 11:45 pm

    This book sounds so great. If you like it, you would probably really enjoy THE BOLTER. Narrative nonfic, and it’s really excellent.

Leave a Reply to rhonda Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

− 2 = 3

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Social media & sharing icons powered by UltimatelySocial
RSS
Twitter
Visit Us
Follow Me
Post on X
Pinterest
Pinterest
fb-share-icon