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se_wigget's review against another edition
4.0
The Feminist Promise is a chronological history of feminist movement, from Mary Wollstonecraft to the present. It is primarily from a United States slant but does cover global feminism occasionally throughout the book, and the final chapter is about global feminism.
I grew up fascinated by the nineteenth century from a primarily aesthetic slant—particularly literature, costume, architecture and interior decorating—rather than from a philosophical or political slant. For me, this history book isn’t hard to put down until it gets to the 20th century, when women finally set aside their timidity about demonstrating in the streets and came up with fun ways to promote suffrage. I particularly found the late 1960s and the 1970s fascinating, thanks to the second wave and radical feminism.
I find it odd and biased that the book covers 1970s reform in Xianity (a patriarchal monotheistic religion centered around a male god) and doesn’t cover the revival of goddess spirituality and the birth of Neopaganism. However, that’s my only gripe. I expected the book to be a primarily political history and to therefore not include things like feminist art; it would have to be a remarkably thick tome.
While covering the Bush wars, Stansell points out that historically American feminists have actually colluded with war (ironically, in my opinion), yet she fails to also point out that war is the ultimate patriarchal evil, or at least that it is essentially patriarchal. She also overlooks the fact that many feminists have been pacifists and anti-war activists, not only during the Bush wars but also in history. I recommend reading Peace as a Women’s Issue: A History of the U. S. Movement for World Peace and Women’s Rights by Harriet Hyman Alonso; Reweaving the Web of Life: Feminism and Nonviolence edited by Pam McAllister; and End the Next War Now: Effective Responses to Violence and Terrorism edited by Medea Benjamin and Jodie Evans.
The Feminist Promise is an excellent book for someone who wants a general history of feminist movement and feminist activism. Other books are more detailed about specific times in feminist history, but without reading a book like The Feminist Promise, you will have gaps and unanswered questions in your mental timeline.
nancydang's review against another edition
some interesting parts but i don't need to read a whole tedious history of feminism. there's also not as much analysis as i would like about what can be gleaned from this history and what the next steps should be (maybe this is included at the end, idk).
itsmandaaa's review against another edition
4.0
Came for the 1950s-1970s, stayed for (nearly) the entire book. Second to last chapter, about Roe v. Wade was especially informative/interesting, read the whole thing even though it has nearly nothing to do with the essay I’m writing.
Favorite chapter was the one about late 60s/early 70s and daughters and mothers.
Favorite chapter was the one about late 60s/early 70s and daughters and mothers.
carlyque's review against another edition
4.0
Am loving this, but still not convinced that ignoring the 20s-40s is a good idea--
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