This is not a book about Karl Marx. Rather, it is an investigation of the women in his life. Val rie Lefebvre-Faucher follows a labyrinth of historical letters, traces the branches on an intellectual family tree, and untangles a web of correspondence, to reveal forgotten connections and to map out the negative spaces in the literature. What emerges is not the familiar portrait of Karl alone in his frame, but a group photo of the whole Marx gang. Upturning the picture we have of the early days of modern communism, Jenny, Eleanor, and Laura, et al. calls on us to acknowledge that humans think and create together, not alone.
This is an engaging account of the lives of high-born women in the Middle Ages, by one of the foremost historians in Europe. Focusing on France in the twelfth century, Duby recreates the image of women that the men of high society made for themselves. Using written evidence from the period - official texts written by men, all intended for public consumption and reading aloud - he tells the story of six very different women. These women - fictional and real, religious and secular - range from famous historical figures such as Eleanor of Aquitaine and Héloïse, through Mary Magdalen, whose cult grew throughout the twelfth century, to Soredamors and Fenice, the heroines of Cligès, the romance of Chrétien de Troyes. Duby sets all of these women within their historical context, using their personalities to explore the characteristics of female existence during this period. He discusses relations between the sexes, including marriage and different types of love, and shows how women were feared, mistrusted and, sometimes, admired by men. He vividly reconstructs the French nobility's system of values, examining the place assigned to women within this system. He argues that men's attitudes to women began to change in the twelfth century and that women began imperceptibly to extricate themselves from masculine power. This important book - the first of three volumes on women in the Middle Ages - will be of interest to a wide readership.
This is an engaging account of the lives of high-born women in the Middle Ages, by one of the foremost historians in Europe. Focusing on France in the twelfth century, Duby recreates the image of women that the men of high society made for themselves. Using written evidence from the period - official texts written by men, all intended for public consumption and reading aloud - he tells the story of six very different women. These women - fictional and real, religious and secular - range from famous historical figures such as Eleanor of Aquitaine and Héloïse, through Mary Magdalen, whose cult grew throughout the twelfth century, to Soredamors and Fenice, the heroines of Cligès, the romance of Chrétien de Troyes. Duby sets all of these women within their historical context, using their personalities to explore the characteristics of female existence during this period. He discusses relations between the sexes, including marriage and different types of love, and shows how women were feared, mistrusted and, sometimes, admired by men. He vividly reconstructs the French nobility's system of values, examining the place assigned to women within this system. He argues that men's attitudes to women began to change in the twelfth century and that women began imperceptibly to extricate themselves from masculine power. This important book - the first of three volumes on women in the Middle Ages - will be of interest to a wide readership.
*Includes pictures of Eleanor, Jackie, Hillary and important people, places, and events in their lives. American presidents have shaped the course of global affairs for generations, but as the saying goes, behind every great man there's a great woman. While the First Ladies often remain overshadowed by their husbands, some have carved unique niches in their time and left their own lasting legacy. Dolley Madison helped establish the role of the First Lady in the early 1800s, Eleanor Roosevelt gave voice to policy issues in a way that made her a forerunner of First Ladies like Hillary Clinton, and Jackie Kennedy created glamorous trends that made her more popular than her husband. If Dolley Madison was instrumental in molding the role of First Lady in the 19th century, credit can be given to Eleanor Roosevelt for revolutionizing the political nature of the role in the 20th and 21st centuries and making it possible for presidents like Bill Clinton to enlist their wives to handle political duties. At the same time, history might remember Eleanor more for what she did outside of the White House, as she became a critically acclaimed and world famous international author and advocate of civil rights, women's rights. By the time she had finished working for the United Nations, working on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, President Truman rightly called her "The First Lady of the World." In 1961, President John F. Kennedy made it seem like anything was possible, and Americans were eager to believe him. The next three years would be fondly and famously labeled "Camelot," suggesting an almost mythical quality about the young President and his family. The famous label came from John's fashionable and beautiful wife, Jackie, whose elegance and grace made her the most popular woman in the world. Her popularity threatened to eclipse even her husband's, who famously quipped on one presidential trip to France that he was "the man who accompanied Jacqueline Kennedy to Paris." Americans were fascinated by the young First Lady's style, and the manner in which she glamorously positioned both the First Family and the White House in those years, and Jackie remains one of the country's most popular First Ladies. But it was in the face of adversity that she truly made her lasting mark, with the country taking its cue from her in the aftermath of the president's assassination. Having devised and lit the eternal flame at JFK's tombstone, Jackie also set about securing her husband's legacy, a time still fondly and mythically remembered as Camelot today, despite his legendary transgressions and infidelities. During the presidential campaign in 1992, Democratic challenger Bill Clinton announced that by voting for him, Americans would get two presidents "for the price of one." The reference to his wife Hillary signified that she would be no ordinary First Lady, and indeed she was employed frequently by her husband in the White House to try to push legislation through Congress, most notably universal healthcare. While that proved to be one of the Clinton Administration's greatest failures, Hillary and her staff continued to act as a political surrogate for the president during his two terms. Of course, describing Hillary Clinton as just a First Lady belittles all of her accomplishments. Today she is the most powerful woman in the world and one of the most recognizable. America's Greatest First Ladies of the 20th Century explores the lives and legacies of the three women, analyzing their relationships with their husbands and the work they did as First Lady. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Eleanor, Jackie and Hillary like you never have before.
This is the story of a small child who lived through the horrors of World War II under the Japanese occupation of the Philippine Islands. The story is told in simplicity and truth. The hardships are described that she endured after taking an innocent trip to visit relatives. These events are what Eleanor lived through as a young girl and her teenage years. She knew she could not dwell on the past and to ensure her future, her bravery and strong faith in God gave her courage and strength to survive. She enjoys playing the ukulele and singing Karaoke. She has lived a long full life and gives credit to God for her survival. Presently she lives in Kailua Kona, Hawaii with two of her three sons. She is a long-time member of Saint Michael's Catholic Church and is respected and loved by all. Mary ConstantinoAuthor of Peeking into my Garden
Eleanor Roosevelt, first lady of the United States, writer and activist, fought for everyone who needed her. We owe it to her that we can leave the country and then return, choose where we want to live; that all people - including, for the first time, women - are equal, but recognizing the differences between one and the other. And, so that we never forget what is truly important, he wrote it down for us in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Based on a true story.
NATIONAL BOOK AWARD NOMINEE - The riveting history of how Pauli Murray--a brilliant writer-turned-activist--and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt forged an enduring friendship that helped to alter the course of race and racism in America. "A definitive biography of Murray, a trailblazing legal scholar and a tremendous influence on Mrs. Roosevelt." --Essence In 1938, the twenty-eight-year-old Pauli Murray wrote a letter to the President and First Lady, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, protesting racial segregation in the South. Eleanor wrote back. So began a friendship that would last for a quarter of a century, as Pauli became a lawyer, principal strategist in the fight to protect Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and a co-founder of the National Organization of Women, and Eleanor became a diplomat and first chair of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.
