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Motor girls : how women took the wheel and drove boldly into the twentieth century

by Macy, Sue,

Format: Print Book 2017
Availability: Available at 4 Libraries 4 of 5 copies

Available (4)
Location Collection Call #
Brentwood Library Juvenile Non-fiction JUV 629.28 Macy
Location  Brentwood Library
 
Collection  Juvenile Non-fiction
 
Call Number  JUV 629.28 Macy
 
 
CLP - Main Library Teen Department - Teen Non-Fiction TL139.M33 2017x
Location  CLP - Main Library
 
Collection  Teen Department - Teen Non-Fiction
 
Call Number  TL139.M33 2017x
 
 
Northern Tier Regional Library Juvenile J 629.28 MACY
Location  Northern Tier Regional Library
 
Collection  Juvenile
 
Call Number  J 629.28 MACY
 
 
Northland Public Library Children's Nonfiction J 629.28 M25
Location  Northland Public Library
 
Collection  Children's Nonfiction
 
Call Number  J 629.28 M25
 
 
 
Unavailable (1)
Location Collection Status
Community Library of Allegheny Valley - Harrison Children Non Fiction CHECKED OUT
Location  Community Library of Allegheny Valley - Harrison
 
Collection  Children Non Fiction
 
Status  CHECKED OUT
 
 

Summary
Come along for a joy ride in this enthralling tribute to the daring women - Motor Girls, as they were called at the turn of the century - who got behind the wheel of the first cars and paved the way for change.

The automobile has always symbolized freedom, and in this book we meet the first generation of female motorists who drove cars for fun, profit, and to make a statement about the evolving role of women. From the advent of the auto in the 1890s to the 1920s when the breaking down of barriers for women was in full swing, readers will be delighted to see historical photos, art, and artefacts and to discover the many ways these progressive females influenced fashion, the economy, politics, and the world around them.
Contents
America, meet the motor car
The time of her life
Going the distance
The need for speed
Driving for liberty.
Published Reviews
Booklist Review: "*Starred Review* In Wheels of Change (2011), Macy revealed the liberating effect that bicycles had for women, and here she extends this theme to the empowering history of the automobile. At the turn of the twentieth century, cars were navigating America's roads for the first time, and women were eager to get out of the house and behind the wheel. While Macy traces early automotive innovations (automation, electric starters, closed carriages, etc.), her focus remains on how women used the car to achieve independence and win the right to vote, embarking on lengthy auto tours to gather support for their cause. She explains how women were banned from auto racing viewed as a man's sport in Europe and the U.S., only to see many silent film actresses embrace roles involving exciting car chases. Later, during WWI, women stepped up to drive ambulances and deliver supplies, further establishing their tenacity and competence behind the wheel. Macy's lively writing and vivid descriptions of treacherous road conditions become all the more fascinating when combined with the crisp archival photos, car advertisements, news stories, and quotations embellishing each chapter all captioned and cited. Biographical spreads on motor girls and lists of early, absurd driving laws and etiquette add to the engaging nature of this well-researched text. Steer any reader with an interest in history towards this fantastic book.--Smith, Julia Copyright 2017 Booklist"
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Publisher's Weekly Review: "Macy builds on Wheels of Change, which examined the connections between women's rights and the mobility offered by the bicycle, as she chronicles the history of the automobile and the paths that led women to become motorists. Against a backdrop of captivating archival photographs and excerpts from periodicals, she introduces several "Motor Girls" who made strides behind the wheel. In 1909, Alice Ramsey became the first woman to drive a car across the United States; she was followed by numerous other cross-country female drivers and racers. A section on WWI demonstrates how the war necessitated that women pilot ambulances and other automobiles, further solidifying that woman could, and wanted to, drive vehicles. Using the lens of automotive history to inform a greater narrative about women's liberation, Macy capably shows how threads of the past are intertwined. Ages 10-up. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved."
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Additional Information
Subjects Women automobile drivers -- Biography -- Juvenile literature.
Automobile travel -- History -- 20th century -- Juvenile literature.
Automobiles -- United States -- History -- Juvenile literature.
Automobile travel.
Automobiles.
Women -- Biography.
Publisher Washington, D.C. :National Geographic,2017
Language English
Description 96 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 27 cm
Bibliography Notes Includes bibliographical references (page 92) and index.
ISBN 9781426326974
1426326971
9781426326981
142632698X
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