They Went Whistling: Women Wayfarers, Warriors, Runaways, and Renegades

by Barbara Holland

Book Overview

Women weren't supposed to take their lives into their own hands, light out by themselves, have independent, off-the-beaten-path adventures. Nonetheless, throughout history there have been women who... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 037542055X
• ISBN13: 9780375420559
• Release Date: February 2001
• Publisher: Pantheon Books
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.8" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

Herstory with plenty of Girl Power!

Barbara Holland's book "They Went Whistling" is a delight! Holland uses wit, sarcasm and a vast knowledge of many incredible women. This book highlights not only well known women (Cleopatra, Joan of Arc) but also remarkable lesser known women. These ladies were not the "fairer sex" by any means. Their stories exude courage, brawn and too little glory. For those looking for some herstory this book is a MUST read. I found myself laughing, gasping and making list of women who I wanted to read more about. The stories blend together beautifully in a easy and smooth flow. Holland's wit is so catching and real I soon felt like she was a good friend or relative telling me stories of the past. Thank you Ms. Holland for the education and experience.

No Glass Ceilings Here

The women in Barbara Holland's latest book are so refreshing in their feminism simply because they would not even know what the word means. They never looked at a label in their lives and had absolutely no idea there was a glass ceiling much less that they crashed through it. The feminist cliches of today would bore them silly. This is what makes this book so wonderful to read. These women simply did what they wanted to do, when they wanted to do it, and most were over-achievers in the creative and interesting departments. Barbara Holland's dry wit supplies the reader with an ample supply of everything from chuckles to belly laughs. Holland reveals the often unseen heroism and strength of these women and shows everyone, men and women, what true individuality is all about. The brief biographies delve into the lives of Cleopatra, Queen Boudicca of Britain, Dr. James Barry (A woman who shall forever remain anonymous since no one knew until 'his' autopsy), Joan of Arc, Lizzie Borden, Isabella Bird, and Bonnie Parker. There really are too many to mention since Holland discusses some in passing and others in greater depth. She does this always with humor, respect, and a no-nonsense-myths-and-rumors-be-damned attitude. This is a world and an attitude, a writing style and an intelligence, one hates to see end on page 268. I only hope Ms. Holland will decide to write a second volume. We all need the intellectual adrenalin.

She's Done It Again

Wow! She's done it again. "They Went Whistling" is a fantastic read. Barbara Holland consistently amazes me with her incredible ability to find even the most obscure facts in her research and then distills them into a most delightful, informative and humorous book. Ever since I read "In Private Life" at least 20 years ago, giggling out loud alone in my kitchen, I wouldn't miss anything she writes.In her book, "Hail to the Chiefs," Holland dug up facts and anecdotes about past presidents of the United States and served them up on a delicious dish of hilarious humor. In "They Went Whistling," she has managed to do the same, but this time she has chosen, along with famous women, some we would never have heard of without Holland's wonderful and descriptive tales. I loved learning that Cleopatra was not the "ultimate siren" or the "pure sexual temptation" that the Romans and Hollywood made her out to be. Instead, "according to Plutarch, she spoke nine or ten languages," and, as Holland says, "Cleopatra knew a thing or two about pharmaceuticals...she'd written a book on cosmetics full of ingredients unknown to Estee Lauder."And then there's Daisy Bates, in her Victorian garb, running around with the Australian Aborigines, learning "a hundred and twenty-nine languages." Bates also "had a son that didn't particularly appeal to her," but, Holland says, "as a general rule the whistling women made absentminded mothers."Indeed, I agree with the accolades Russell Baker and Dave Berry offer to Holland's books. I believe she is one of the finest writers of this century. She writes with a grace and style unmatched.

What a Pleasure!

I recently had the good fortune to hear Barbara Holland read from her latest book, They Went Whistling. Though it is quite different from Bingo Night at the Fire Hall, Endangered Pleasures, and Wasn't the Grass Greener, it was equally wonderful -- as is everything Holland writes. While the others are warm, witty, and wistful social commentaries, in They Went Whistling Holland delights us with the unique adventures of women who dared to set out, usually alone, in directions far from the expected. As usual, Holland's remarkable humor and "asides" thread through a wealth of information to weave yet another thoroughly satisfying read. Bravo again!

Marvelous book!

What a terrific new book from Barbara Holland! It's about extraordinary women: the famous, like Queen Cleopatra, and the relatively unknown, like pirate Grace O'Malley. Holland's wise and witty style is the glue that holds these women's stories -- extremely well researched -- together. She has done the legwork so we can sit back and enjoy. No dull stuff here!We may have thought we knew the likes of Joan of Arc and Bonnie Parker (of Bonnie and Clyde) from the movies, plays and poems about them. With "They Went Whistling" we get closer to the real women, and they're a great deal more fascinating than the Hollywood versions. Holland's got the facts to back up her statements, but this book is no dry history lesson: it's a heck of a lot of fun.One of my favorite women is Mary Kingsley, born in England in 1862. At the age of 30, a spinster, she went off to West Africa to explore. Alone. Her adventures were amazing; her humor a delightful bonus. A crocodile, Kingsley wrote in her journal, "chose to get his front paws over the stern of my canoe, and endeavored to improve our acquaintance. I had to retire to the bows, to keep the balance right, and fetch him a clip on the snout with a paddle...."In her introduction, Holland writes, "In the index to Kenneth Clark's definitive `Civilisation' ... we find the names of 395 men and eleven women...." Men may get the credit for inventing the wheel and the skyscraper, but with Holland's latest book we can celebrate women who ruled, battled, explored and exploited a few corners of the world, too. Most highly recommended.