Notable Women in World History: A Guide to Recommended Biographies and Autobiographies

This unique guide will enable students, librarians, and general readers to easily identify the best biographies and autobiographies of 500 of the most notable women throughout world history. It will also assist students and general readers in selecting notable women about whom they would like to know more. Spanning from 1503 B.C. to the present, the guide features entries on historical and contemporary women from 60 countries who have achieved recognition in more than 50 fields of endeavor. It annotates more than 1,300 recommended books published since 1970 about these women. The compilation of works selected here is unavailable in any other reference. The heading of each entry identifies the woman's birth/death dates, country of birth, and field of endeavor. The entry contains a brief biographical sketch of the woman and an annotated list of up to five recommended biographies, autobiographies, letter collections, or journals concerning her life. Three appendices listing women according to year of birth, country of birth, and main field of interest, acquired title, or occupation will help researchers easily locate women from specific time periods, countries, or professions.

From activist to writer, from ballerina to scientist, from aviator to revolutionary, Adamson has selected women from more than 50 fields of endeavor and from across the globe. The guide offers the researcher opportunities to learn about a number of women whose lives and achievements have not been adequately recognized. Adamson notes that, in recent years, feminist scholars have helped improve the quality of biographies about women with thoughtful accounts of their lives. Still, many notable women have not been written about, nor have they written any autobiographies. Four main criteria for inclusion in this guide apply: that the woman was born outside the United States, that she made a noteworthy contribution to society, that a full-length biography published about her or reprinted since 1970 be available, and that the biography be listed in the Library of Congress catalog. This guide selects the best of those biographies, as well as autobiographies, journals, and memoirs, in celebration of women's achievements throughout history. It is a valuable tool for students, librarians, teachers, and interested readers.