The incredible story of the fight for female education in BritainIn 1869, when five women enrolled at university for the first time in British history, the average female brain was thought to be 150 grams lighter than a man’s. When the Cambridge Senate held a vote on whether women students should be allowed official membership of the university, there was a full-scale riot. Despite the prejudice and the terrible sacrifices they faced, women from all backgrounds persevered and paved the way for the generations who have followed them since.Bluestockings tells an inspiring story – of defiance and determination, of colourful eccentricity and at times heartbreaking loneliness, as well as of passionate friendships, midnight cocoa-parties and glorious self-discovery.‘Social history of the best kind’ Sunday Times‘Modern girls need reminding of the long battle, and Jane Robinson’s fine book does just that, charting the lives and struggles of campaigners’ Mail on Sunday

About the AuthorJane Robinson was born in Edinburgh and brought up in Yorkshire. After reading English at Somerville College, Oxford, she became an antiquarian book dealer, later leaving to pursue a writing career. Her books about women travellers and pioneers have established her as an engaging social historian with an appreciative eye for eccentricity. Jane lives near Oxford with her husband and two sons.ReviewsSocial history of the best kind — Sunday Times * Sunday Times *Modern girls need reminding of the long battle, and Jane Robinson’s fine book does just that, charting the lives and struggles of campaigners … But there is more joy than sorrow — Mail on Sunday * Mail on Sunday *Jane Robinson is excellent on the determination of girls to go to university, sometimes in the face of parental opposition … There is also riveting material in Bluestockings on the opposition that the women face at college — Mary Beard, The Times — Mary Beard * The Times *Book InformationISBN 9780141029719Author Jane RobinsonFormat PaperbackPage Count 304Imprint Penguin Books LtdPublisher Penguin Books LtdWeight(grams) 236gDimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 19mm