Diane Atkinson, historian and author of Rise Up, Women! The Remarkable Lives of the Suffragettes
Published to coincide with the centenary of British women first gaining the vote, Rise Up, Women! The Remarkable Lives of the Suffragettes has cemented Diane Atkinson’s status as the most authoritative voice writing on the suffrage movement today.
From their marches on Parliament and 10 Downing Street, to the selling of their paper, through to the more militant activities of the Women’s Social and Political Union, whose slogan ‘Deeds Not Words!’ resided over bombed pillar-boxes, as well as acts of arson and the slashing of great works of art, the women who participated in the movement endured police brutality, assault, imprisonment and force-feeding, all in the relentless pursuit of one goal: the right to vote.
Diane Atkinson celebrates the lives of the women who answered the call to ‘Rise Up’; a richly diverse group of actresses and mill-workers, teachers and doctors, bootmakers and sweated workers. She brings these women to life in a stirring celebration of their grace, resilience and determination that changed the world forever.
A thrilling and inspiring read! For too long these extraordinary women have been hidden from history. Rise Up Women! should be a standard text in all schools. And will be a treasured handbook for today’s feminists. Harriet Harman MP
Atkinson rightly dedicates much of her book to the many hundreds of less celebrated figures … What stays in mind is the bloody-minded determination and courage of a large number of these campaigners. Caroline Moorehead
