Table of Contents

1. Childhood and Young Womanhood 2. Marriage and entry in to Political life 3. Political Hostess 4. Social and public Representative 5. Widowhood and Employment 6. Foundation and early years of WSPU 7. To London 8. Autocrat of the WSPU? 9. Emmeline and Christabel 10. 'A New and More Heroic Plane.' 11. Personal Sorrow and Fortitude 12. The Truce Renewed 13. The Women's Revolution 14. Break with the Pethick Lawrences 15. Honorary Treasurer of the WSPU and Agitator 16. Prisoner of the Cat and Mouse Act 17. Ousting of Sylvia and a Fresh Start for Adela 18. Fugitive 19. War work and a second Family 20. War Emissary to Russia: Emmeline versus the Bolsheviks 21. Leader of the Women's Party 22. Lecturer in North America and Defender of the British Empire 23. Last Years: Conservative Parliamentary candidate. 24. Niche in History.

About the Author

June Purvis

Reviews

'What Purvis does for Emmeline Pankhurst in her new biography is to provide a detailed, scrupulous, excellently researched retelling of the story, and thus offer a vindication of the woman.' - Michael Foot, The Guardian

'The product of careful and thorough research, offering in many respects an important corrective to established views ... Purvis has tracked down surviving letters in many scattered collections, as well as patiently trawling through newspaper reports of Emmeline's speeches, and gaining exclusive access to the late Jill Craigie's collection of suffrage material' - Mark Bostridge, Times Literary Supplement

'[T]he story has all the things that should make for gripping biography - spirited women, nice clothes, a noble goal, the ghastly thrill of physical torture...There is no doubt that Purvis's biography is expert, accomplished and perhaps most important, acutely aware of the way in which historical reputations are made and remade according to who is doing the telling...not an especially jaunty read, but an important one.' - Kathryn Hughes, Sunday Times

'Purvis's work has involved 10 years of research in innumerable archives on both sides of the Atlantic and Australia. Her sources embrace letters, newspapers and other ephemera; fascinating, particularly the anatomy of militancy.' - Scotland on Sunday

'[A]n exercise in rehabilitation ... Pankhurst does at last get the biography she deserves - and, it is to be hoped, her place in the political pantheon.' -The Scotsman

'What Purvis does for Emmeline Pankhurst in her new biography is to provide a detailed, scrupulous, excellently researched retelling of the story, and thus offer a vindication of the woman.' - Michael Foot, The Guardian

'The product of careful and thorough research, offering in many respects an important corrective to established views ... Purvis has tracked down surviving letters in many scattered collections, as well as patiently trawling through newspaper reports of Emmeline's speeches, and gaining exclusive access to the late Jill Craigie's collection of suffrage material' - Mark Bostridge, Times Literary Supplement

'The book offers a needed revisionist view of a bold and charismatic feminist leader.' - Library Journal