Compelling, witty and relevant

Greer's book plays out like a Robert Altman movie with multiple narrative strands introducing the key characters of his story; and like Altman at his best, Greer performs a perfect balancing act as each chapter leaves us hungry to learn more about one player but eager to return to the story of another. Centre-stage is the glorious Victoria Woodhull, whose run for President is perhaps surprisingly one of the least dramatic events of the two years Greer explores. Far from a dry history this is an action-packed account of the Gilded Age and its lasting impact on American society. Peter Berkrot relishes every word of his narration which captures vividly the theatricality of the times, where Broadway shows and the tabloid press vie with court cases and Sunday sermons for the public's attention. The misogyny facing the suffrage movement is of course predictable, but Greer depicts it afresh in shocking detail, portraying not only the struggles of leading lights such as Woodhull, her sister Tennie Claflin, and their critic Susan B Anthony, but women of all classes. There are some wonderful villains at work here too, though even the hypocrite preacher Henry Beecher Ward is given fair treatment, in keeping with Greer's nuanced understanding of the wider historical context. Highly recommended!

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