First published in 1983 as The Europa Biographical Dictionary of British Women, A Historical Dictionary of British Women expands and updates its previous incarnation in an attempt to chronicle, in some 1,100 entries, the achievement of British women over the past 2,000 years. The major changes in this edition include 50 new entries, mostly relating to women who have died in the past 20 years; an updated bibliography to accompany each entry; and the addition of two indexes, one dividing the entries by century, and the other by area of activity.
The scope of the work is ambitious, and its wide‐ranging criteria for selection reflect the difficulties of charting women's contribution to history. Whilst it is noted in the introduction that achievement or public recognition must be the main qualifications for inclusion in any biographical dictionary, it is also pointed out that, particularly in early times, women's achievement was often not publicly recognised. This work, therefore, covers household names along with the lesser‐known and the unsung, with the aim always of turning attention towards women “whose work has had some sort of public impact and who have therefore helped to widen women's horizons beyond the traditional confines of the home”. There are those who sought to expand women's involvement in public affairs, and the professions; women who were involved in social reform, wars and religion; the women behind the men, the wives and mistresses of politicians and royalty; and those who pursued what are described in the introduction as traditional female occupations, actresses, singers, entertainers, writers and artists. In keeping with the broad criteria for selection, the term “British” is given some elasticity, including not only British‐born women but also those that settled in Britain and by their activities had a major impact upon British public life. The one steadfast criterion for selection, however, is perhaps implicit in the title and in the notion of an historical recognition of achievement, and could certainly be the subject of lively debate: no living women are included. No Margaret Thatcher, then.
Writing and publishing makes up the largest single area of activity, with politics, royalty, and stage and film also well represented. Surprisingly, fashion, a subject of much female interest, has over the years thrown up little in the way of British women's achievement with only one entry ‐ Laura Ashley. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the twentieth century is the era with the greatest number of entries, but that is not to say that the modern women are favoured; far from it. The work makes for interesting reading and anyone interested in women's contribution to history will welcome the inclusion of lesser‐known figures. We are all no doubt aware of the contribution of such women as Nancy Astor; Jane Austen; Florence Nightingale; and Grace Darling, but where else could we find out about women whose lives and work paved the way for what is more or less taken for granted today? Amongst the well known writers, suffragettes and actresses are social reformers, economists, politicians, the first woman to be called to the Bar in England, and the first woman actuary.
As the introduction acknowledges, the choice of women selected for inclusion will always be a subject for discussion, and there is a brave welcome for positive suggestions for inclusion in future editions. Nevertheless, readers may well find themselves too absorbed in what is written about the women included to spend too much time searching for omissions. Each short biography is clearly and concisely written, and though rarely stretching beyond half a page each contains an engaging amount of information. Bibliographies follow many of the entries, pointing readers to fuller biographies. Although the work is in A‐Z format there are two indexes, by chronology and by area of activity. These, together with cross‐references within the text, make locating particular information and indeed identifying, at a rudimentary level, trends over time, relatively straightforward.
Whilst obviously not as broad as many of the well known biographical dictionaries, this is an excellent reference resource. However, once again I find myself griping about price. Whilst this would in all likelihood prove to be a valuable addition to many reference libraries' shelves, its hefty price tag might well lead the budget‐conscious to be content with one of the broader focussed works; and to miss out on a resource such as this would be a shame.
