The First World War deprived Britain of three-quarters of a million soldiers, with as many more incapacitated. In 1919 a generation of women who unquestioningly believed marriage to be their birthright discovered that there were, quite simply, not enough men to go round. The press ran alarming stories about the 'Problem of the Surplus Women - Two Million who can never become Wives ...'. But behind the headlines were thousands of brave, emancipated individuals forced by a tragedy of historic proportions to rethink their entire futures. Tracing their fates, Virginia Nicholson shows how the single woman of the inter-war decades had to stop depending on men for her income, her identity and her happiness. Some just endured, others challenged the conventions, fought the system and found fulfilment. "Singled Out" pays homage to this remarkable generation of women who were changed by war, and in their turn helped change society.
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Review
Brave, humane and honest -- The Observer, 2 September 2007
Remarkably perceptive and well-researched ... Virginia Nicholson has produced another extraordinarily interesting work, sensitive, intelligent and well-written. -- The Sunday Telegraph, 2 September 2007
This in an inspiring book, lovingly researched, well-written and humane... the period is beautifully caught -- The Economist, 1 September 2007
This is a ground-breaking book, richly nuanced with titbits of information, insight and understanding -- The Daily Mail, 24 August 2007
Virginia Nicholson's splendid new book is ... tenderly sympathetic -- Evening Standard, 3 September 2007
`Elegant, funny and a compelling read . . . [Nicholson] succeeds
triumphantly in telling the human story behind the demographic statistics' -- Literary Review
Remarkably perceptive and well-researched ... Virginia Nicholson has produced another extraordinarily interesting work, sensitive, intelligent and well-written. -- The Sunday Telegraph, 2 September 2007
This in an inspiring book, lovingly researched, well-written and humane... the period is beautifully caught -- The Economist, 1 September 2007
This is a ground-breaking book, richly nuanced with titbits of information, insight and understanding -- The Daily Mail, 24 August 2007
Virginia Nicholson's splendid new book is ... tenderly sympathetic -- Evening Standard, 3 September 2007
`Elegant, funny and a compelling read . . . [Nicholson] succeeds
triumphantly in telling the human story behind the demographic statistics' -- Literary Review
About the Author
Virginia Nicholson was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. She has worked as a documentary researcher for BBC Television and her first book, Charleston -- A Bloomsbury House and Garden (written in collaboration with her father, Quentin Bell), was an account of the Sussex home of her grandmother, the painter Vanessa Bell. Her second book, Among the Bohemians: Experiments in Living 1900--1939, was published by Penguin in 2002. She lives in Sussex.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
71 of 72 people found the following review helpful
By Lynette Baines
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Hardcover
I loved this book. The stories Virginia Nicholson has discovered of women who could never marry, or who did not want to marry, are inspiring and often moving. From the women whose fiancees or husbands were killed in WWI to the women who had never wanted to marry at all but had felt under pressure from society to do so, these women all had to create a life for themselves without a man. For some, it was the making of them. They created their own careers, travelled, made money, formed unconventional relationships and freed themselves from the strictures of society. For others, their singleness, and often, their childlessness, was a sorrow they couldn't get past. Nicholson is to be congratulated for discovering the stories of these women. She doesn't gloss over the problems and heartaches, but she also celebrates the diversity of these women and the lives they made for themselves.
66 of 71 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I was looking at a different book by this same author on Amazon in the US, and they linked to this book, but it was only available in the UK. It cost me almost $50 US dollars, but it was one of the best purchases I will ever make because it changed my life. I know that seems like a dramatic statement, but it is the absolute truth. I am one of the "generation x'ers" so for me the women in this book are of my Great Grandmothers generation, but what amazing women they were. I had always admired my Great Grandmother for her honesty, her stoicism, and now I see that it was not just her, but an entire generation of women. I realized how very much that I have to be thankful to these women for. How much they changed the world, because they had no choice. They were not going to just sit back and let the world go on without them, they changed the world in ways that I am still feeling today. Virginia Nicholson did a wonderful job, this book made me think. It made me think about the past and there future and it made me realize that I have to do something for all the girls who will come after me. I changed my University major to Women's Studies after reading this book and I am so grateful. This book opened my eyes and changed my view of the world. I am still very young and hopefully have a long road in front of me, but this book made me realize that we are all alone in this world and no one can live your life for you, so you have to seize the day and take chances.
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Unlike a previous reviewer I thought there really was a representative cross section of women featured in the book, and the author came up with some quite obscure biographical details to bring the situations of women in the twenties and thirties alive. What comes across is the genuine sense of loss that some felt at being denied the chance of having a family, and the often ground-breaking successes they achieved once they decided to channel their energies in other directions. The last chapter which records these achievements is particularly uplifting, and the author herself conveys a quiet pride in what they did.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Long winded but interesting
Thought this was a novel so bit disconcerted to realise it was a social history. Well researched, rather repetitive but good to see these women celebrated.
Published 2 months ago by jennieclaire
4.0 out of 5 stars
Paving the way
The upheaval caused to all levels of British society by the first world war was immense and permanent. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Granny
5.0 out of 5 stars
Singled Out - Birginia Nicholson
This I bought for myself - it is just the sort of book I read and look forward to doing so.
Published 5 months ago by BAR&JER
5.0 out of 5 stars
An inspirational book
A book that will astonish and inspire its readers: male and female. Extremely well researched this book covers the reasons for the two million surplus women after WW1, a portrayal... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Sally Walker
2.0 out of 5 stars
'like new'
The book arrived very promptly, however, the seller said the book
was 'like new' and was highly priced for a second hand book. Read more
was 'like new' and was highly priced for a second hand book. Read more
Published on 23 Feb 2011 by K. Fletcher
2.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic confusion - ideas, sources, overviews are all over the place
Published in 2007. Subtitled 'How Two Million Women Survived Without Men after the First World War' (author's capitals). Read more
Published on 22 Sep 2010 by Rerevisionist
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great social history
It was said that, after WWI, nearly 2 million women were left without the possibility of marriage. This is what happened to them - how they coped without marriage or children,... Read more
Published on 5 Aug 2010 by S Riaz
2.0 out of 5 stars
Biographical errors
I was very disappointed with this book as Virginia Nicholson made a biographical error on several occasions when writing about Vera Brittain's husband. Read more
Published on 3 Aug 2010 by Chrissie
3.0 out of 5 stars
disappointing
I had high hopes of this book because it is such a fascinating topic so rarely touched on; the aftermath of WW1 is a rich subject usually looked at from the political and economic... Read more
Published on 8 May 2010 by Liz G
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic - read it!
This is a brilliant read. (I have told all my friends to buy it and can't stop going on about how good it is. Read more
Published on 22 Jan 2010 by Jasmine
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