Women and the Military: An Encyclopedia - Hardcover

Victoria Sherrow

Victoria Sherrow is the author of numerous books in the fields of history, social issues, biography, and science.

More than 400 articles arranged in alphabetical order cover people, events, laws, wars, and military branches. The entries range in length from several sentences to several pages. More than 50 black-and-white illustrations or photographs accompany the appropriate articles. Each entry ends with cross-references where appropriate and references to additional sources. Such topics as Women in the American Revolution are especially helpful in providing an overview. Smaller topics of interest include Camp Followers and "Battle of the Black Stockings," which occurred during World War II when the chief of naval operations ordered the WAVES to wear black stockings until he found out the dye used the same vital ingredient as gunpowder. Many famous women are covered, including Martha Washington, Isabelle "Belle" Boyd, Clara Barton, Paula Coughlin (Tailhook scandal), and Jacqueline Cochran. Women who are not as well known are also included, such as Sarah Emma Edmonds, who disguised herself as a man and fought in the Michigan Infantry during the Civil War; Marie T. Rossi, who was killed in the Persian Gulf War; and Mary Edwards Walker, who was the first woman doctor to serve with the Army Medical Corps.

The work provides an extensive bibliography of books and articles. The index covers the entries and also events and names mentioned within the entries. It would have been useful to have the main entries indicated in boldface or italics. For example, the entry for Cochran, Jacqueline references 11 pages, but the article about her is on pages 67^-68.

Another work on women and the military has recently been published: Women in the United States Military, 1901^-1995 [RBB D 15 96]. This work is a research guide and bibliography rather than an encyclopedia. Although both works cover some of the same people and events, they are complementary works and can be used in conjunction.

Women and the Military: An Encyclopedia is a well-researched and important reference work. It would be a useful purchase for school, academic, and public libraries. It is an important addition for any collection of military or women's studies.