The idea behind this book is incredibly clever, it is the history of forty years of feminism told through articles from The Guardian. The book was edited by Kira Cochrane who Frost have interviewed. The wealth of talented women in the book is staggering. Maya Angelou, Germaine Greer, Oprah Winfrey, Suzanne Moore, Beth Ditto…the list is endless. It is a fascinating read for women and men alike.

I didn’t like, or agree, with every single article or argument, Lesbianism as a choice and not sleeping with men, because they are the enemy spring to mind, as does ‘are all men capable of rape’. Er, no, they are not.

Beth Ditto gives amazing and funny advice on what to do with catcalls, Andrea Dworkin’s piece on Bill and Hillary Clinton is perfection, and right on. The interview with Maya Angelou is also amazing, she is one of my favourite writers. Germaine Greer comes across as Germaine Greer, people can say whatever they want about her, but she doesn’t seem to care about being liked, and that makes her a true feminist to me.

One of my favourite things about the book is just how many strong women are in it. Suzanne Moore interviewing Camille Paglia, there is an interview with Toni Morrison, Zoe Williams ask if feminism is embarrassing, Julie Burchill writes about her lack of regret for her five abortions. This book shows how far we have come, but also shows our faults, the fault of feminism is that people have a narrow view of what feminism is, and what a feminist does. Women can be their own worst enemy and the in-fighting and backstabbing is disappointing. For reference, read the interview with Naomi Wolf. Why can’t Naomi Wolf be beautiful and groomed and say what she wants? Can you not be glamourous and a feminist? Surely as long as you want equal rights for all anyone can be a feminist, even a man?

The ones I really related to are Jill Tweedie stating that ‘One of the most crippling aspects of being a women- and an Englishwomen to boot- is the continual and largely unconscious compulsion to be nice’. Too true, even for a Scot, and as relevant today as it was in the 1970s. This book is food for the brain; is housework slavery?, should women be paid for it?, the attack on Margaret Thatcher for not helping her fellow women – a very good point- she filled her cabinet with men and seemed to dislike other women. This book is essential reading, I recommend it to everyone.

Some of the book is uncomfortable reading, like when the issue of rape being used as a weapon of war is raised. But that is to the credit of the book. History should never be a comfortable experience, and neither should a revolution.