Every woman in Britain would, on reading this book, understand something of the debt we all owe to the army of single women of the 20th century. Their courage and determination brought us the freedoms we now enjoy and we should remember them with the respect and dignity they deserve. ( )

I thought the author was repetitive and could have said what she wanted to in about half the number of pages. I had to force myself to finish it. Interesting history of the development of lesbianism in England as a form of survival. ( )

This book was very informative but I found that after about halfway the way the stories were told was a bit repetitive and all over the place. Sad stories in places and moving - courageous women in almost impossible situations surviving and thriving...very inspirational ( )

This book was very informative but I found that after about halfway the way the stories were told was a bit repetitive and all over the place. Sad stories in places and moving - courageous women in almost impossible situations surviving and thriving...very inspirational ( )

An informative and well researched - though occasionally repetitive - account of the 'Surplus Women' of the 1920s, left behind after a generation of young men were killed during the First World War. The personal histories of larger than life personalities like author Winifred Holtby, archaeologist Gertrude Caton-Thompson and Bradford battleaxe Florence White, who campaigned for 'spinsters' pensions', are remarkable and inspiring. Whether they remained unmarried through situation or choice, these women chose to challenge the traditional role of wife and mother, much to the horror of complacent males everywhere. The industrious workforce of clever and capable young women who took over during the war years were suddenly and literally out of a job when the surviving soldiers returned home - but there weren't enough men to make honest women of them either. All praise to the pioneers mentioned by Nicholson who decided that the men couldn't have everything their way.

Virginia Nicholson's history of 'how two million women survived without men after the First World War' is part ode, part lecture - if she recounts once how spinsters were viewed as sexually frustrated, sour-faced frumps, then she must do so in every chapter - but definitely required reading for every woman in the UK who takes for granted her 'right' to earn a living, have a family, or more often than not, do both. ( )