Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Preview
  • Wonder Woman Unbound

  • The Curious History of the World's Most Famous Heroine
  • By: Tim Hanley
  • Narrated by: Colby Elliott
  • Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
  • 3.8 out of 5 stars (6 ratings)

£0.00 for first 30 days

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Wonder Woman Unbound

By: Tim Hanley
Narrated by: Colby Elliott
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £15.99

Buy Now for £15.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Summary

This close look at Wonder Woman's history portrays a complicated heroine who is more than just a female Superman with a golden lasso and bullet-deflecting bracelets. The original Wonder Woman was ahead of her time, advocating female superiority and the benefits of matriarchy in the 1940s. At the same time, her creator filled the comics with titillating bondage imagery, and Wonder Woman was tied up as often as she saved the world.

In the 1950s, Wonder Woman begrudgingly continued her superheroic mission, wishing she could settle down with her boyfriend instead, all while continually hinting at hidden lesbian leanings. While other female characters stepped forward as women's lib took off in the late 1960s, Wonder Woman fell backward, losing her superpowers and flitting from man to man. Ms. magazine and Lynda Carter restored Wonder Woman's feminist strength in the 1970s, turning her into a powerful symbol as her checkered past was quickly forgotten. Exploring this lost history adds new dimensions to the world's most beloved female character, and Wonder Woman Unbound delves into her comic book and its spin-offs as well as the myriad motivations of her creators to showcase the peculiar journey that led to Wonder Woman's iconic status.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2014 Tim Hanley (P)2016 Last Word Audio, LLC
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Many Lives of Catwoman cover art
Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy cover art
James Bond in the 21st Century cover art
Dragonwriter cover art
Feminism and Pop Culture cover art
Brave New World: A Reader's Guide to the Aldous Huxley Novel cover art
Fairy Tale as Myth/Myth as Fairy Tale cover art
Ruritanian Rogues: Volumes 1-3 cover art
Story Structure: The Key to Successful Fiction cover art
Bad Girls Go Everywhere cover art
Paperback Crush cover art
Comic Book Women cover art
Reflex cover art
North and South cover art
The Deep Blue Good-By cover art
The Many-Colored Land cover art

Critic reviews

"A lively and important examination of a key feminist icon." ( Booklist)
"There’s plenty here for Wonder Woman fans; Hanley writes with clarity and enthusiasm, and he’s got a fine eye for the goofy absurdities of comic-book narratives...." (Salon.com)
"Elliott's conversational style enlivens the many footnotes, popular objections to comic books, and anecdotes about the Senate hearings of the 1940s and '50s regarding whether or not comic books cause juvenile delinquency...Most enjoyable are Elliott's lively cartoon quotes and engaging female voices." (AudioFile)

What listeners say about Wonder Woman Unbound

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Great Hera, good book.

Very good for a first work, giving a comprehensive overview of the history of Wonder Woman.
The decision to include the parallel histories of other female comic book characters is an inspired touch, albeit one that veers into the territory of making the work seem unfocused on occasion.
Also, doesn't quite have the good humour and sparkle that make some similar works (namely The Caped Crusade and Superman: The Unauthorized Biography, both by Glen Weldon) truly shine.
Still, a very interesting read (listen).
Would be interested in a Second Edition taking into account Wonder Woman's greater prominence in the wake of her 2017 film.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!