You know it’s going to be a good book when it starts with a brawl. Helen Taylor and Her Fight for the People by Janet Smith resurfaces the story of an important figure in women’s and social movements in England (and Ireland and Scotland) in the late 19th century. Often remembered (if at all!) as Harriet Taylor Mill’s daughter and John Stuart Mill’s stepdaughter (she was also his collaborator), she was in her own right a prominent and accomplished political figure. The causes she advanced included equal pay for women teachers, free education for all, land reform (she advocated nationalizing all land), Irish home rule, and of course, women’s suffrage. A London school board member, her advocacy for education also included an equitable curriculum for girls and, in effect, day care at schools (which she had seen in other countries), so that instead of being made to stay home to take care of their younger siblings, girls could attend school. Taylor was also the first woman to run for.. Read more
NetGalley, E W Parker

"History is not a list of dates or names of battles... History is about stories. Enjoying them, no matter what the subject matter, is the important factor. That is how we learn. And with learning we can hope not to repeat the same old mistakes, time after time." If this was the overarching goal behind Phil Carradice's detailed account of influential assassinations, then he has achieved it by leaps and bounds. Assassinations That Shaped the Twentieth Century is a well-paced and informative read. The author's straightforward and clear writing style, with just the right amount of detail to contextualize events and people, paints an evocative picture of the stories that have influenced history. The book's structure--divided into parts by years--makes the reader feel like they are taking a trip down the river of history, with each port stop introducing them to a particular historical time period and its eccentricities. While the history of assassinations is long and this book could have been.. Read more
NetGalley, Shradha G

As featured in the North-West Labor History Journal no. 49
Peter Darby

A fascinating and in depth look at how politics has shaped science in two twentieth century dictatorships.
NetGalley, Caroline Palmer

As featured in
The Bookseller, Jan 23