Amanda Frisken

Being an examination of the press' coverage of early feminist Victoria Woodhull during the height of her fame, basically from the late 1860's through her presidential campaign in 1872 until her sudden emigration five years later. Press coverage of the free love crusade of her earliest public appearances was either hostile, jocular, or extremely sexualized in the men's magazines of the day, and, as a result, the rather proper feminist leadership of the day usually kept her at arm's length. Within a few years, however, she had become a lecture circuit favorite, as she shifted her emphasis to esoteric musings on the religious overtones of human sexuality; eventually, after she left the country, what little public life she maintained during the rest of her long life was as a low-profile advocate for eugenics. This book is very interesting, informative, and jargon-free. It's worthwhile even if one has read a great deal on Woodhull. Though, as with most academic books, it can be recommended as recreational reading mostly to those with an interest in the subject or the period, it's a good read on those terms.… (más)