Biographical Dictionary of Scottish Women

Edited by Elisabeth Ewan, Sue Innes, Sian Reynolds and Rose Pipes

September, 2007
Paper, 440 pages,
ISBN: 978-0-7486-3293-0
Edinburgh University Press
$50.00

Containing entries on 830 women, The Biographical Dictionary of Scottish Women will be a revelation to all with an interest in Scottish life from earliest times to the near present. Written by a team of 280 scholars, the entries tell the stories of women famous and infamous, well-known and not-so-well-known, extraordinary and ordinary. Re-peopling the landscape in this way enables a new perspective on Scottish life and demands a rethinking of what is meant by Scottish national identity. The scope and approach of the Dictionary make it an essential work of reference and a starting point for future research, as well as an enthralling read. Every entry contains biographical information, an account of the woman’s life, and sources and further reading: it also tells a story. Many of the stories are linked, building up a vivid picture of Scottish life in different times and places. For readers interested in particular occupations or ways of life, there is a thematic index with more than sixty category headings. The Biographical Dictionary of Scottish Women will disprove once and for all the contention that there is not enough information available to accord women their proper place in the story of Scotland’s past.

Related Subjects

• History

About the Author

Elizabeth Ewan has a PhD from the University of Edinburgh and is University Research Chair in History, University of Guelph, Ontario. Sue Innes was Research Fellow, Centre for Research on Families and Relationships, Glasgow Caledonian University. Siân Reynolds is Professor of French at Stirling University. She has a doctorate in history from the University of Paris-VII. Rose Pipes is a free lance publishing consultant, editor and writer.

top of page