The Bugatti Queen

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The Bugatti Queen

Author : Miranda Seymour
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 344 pages
Book Rating : 4.F/5 ( download)

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Book Synopsis The Bugatti Queen by : Miranda Seymour

Download or read book The Bugatti Queen written by Miranda Seymour and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Born in 1900 to a soon-to-be-widowed postmaster's wife in a small French village, Hélène Delangle's background offered no suggestion of the extraordinary life she was to lead. The first step was to leave the country behind and head to the city -- in this case, a Paris in the grip of an intoxicating 1920s blend of creativity and debauchery. She became a dancer, and then a stripper. But the demi-monde of gauze veils and admirers was not enough. A visit to the Actors' Championships, a uniquely French meeting of the theatrical world with the race-track, opened her eyes to the glamorous combination of machines and speed. Quickly establishing herself as a racer of uncommon talent and audacity, the beautiful woman now known as Hellé Nice -- Hellish Nice to her British fans -- then caught the attention of none other than Ettore Bugatti, founder of the marque with which her name will always be associated. And yet, despite the fame and the fortune she amassed in an unprecedented career, she died penniless and alone, an old woman in a crumbling Nice flat surrounded only by memories. THE BUGATTI QUEEN is the story of a great pioneer of motor racing who happened to be a woman. Re-creating her rollercoaster career with great verve and panache, Miranda Seymour brilliantly shows us a life now forgotten -- and makes it unforgettable.

The Bugatti Queen

Author : Miranda Seymour
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780753199800
Total Pages : 308 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (998 download)

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Book Synopsis The Bugatti Queen by : Miranda Seymour

Download or read book The Bugatti Queen written by Miranda Seymour and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Even if you have never thrilled to the drone of powerful cars jockeying for position on a racetrack," writes London's Literary Review, "Miranda Seymour's biography of the daring female driver Hellé Nice will have you riveted to your seat." Indeed, the story of this record-shattering woman-known as "Hellish Nice" to her fans and "Hell on Ice" to her rivals-provides a fascinating and unexpected view of Europe and America in the years between the wars. Transcending her provincial background, and taking the name "Hellé Nice," Hélène Delangle made her way into the Parisian demimonde of the 1920s as a nude model, ballerina, and cabaret dancer. But it was on the racetrack, thrilled by the combination of machinery and speed, that Nice would realize her destiny, becoming the "fastest woman in the world." Catching the attention of the formidable Ettore Bugatti, designer of the world's most desirable cars, Nice gained admission to the exclusive male club of drivers. Her readiness to pose for the camera with seductively half-closed eyes and a radiant smile, coupled with her willingness to risk her life for a record or a win, made Hellé Nice an irresistible commodity for Bugatti's marque. Impenitently promiscuous, her many lovers ranged from engineers and mechanics to aristocrats of the racing world such as Baron Philippe de Rothschild and Count Bruno d'Harcourt. A racer of thrilling audacity, Hellé Nice competed in numerous Grand Prix, was the only woman to drive the treacherous American dirt tracks and speedbowls in the 1930s, and set new land-speed records until a notorious accident in Brazil nearly ended her racing career. Her comeback impeded by the war, she lived out the Occupation in the South of France. In 1949, she was mysteriously denounced by a hostile fellow driver as a Gestapo agent. Eventually, Hellé Nice would die in obscurity, the shadow on her reputation causing her name to be written out of racing history. Drawn from a remarkable cache of newly discovered papers, Miranda Seymour's Bugatti Queen sheds new light on both the treacherous world of international racing and life in Occupied France, while revealing the story of a fearless and passionate woman who lived for challenge.

Bugatti Supercars

Author : Lance Cole
Publisher : The Crowood Press
ISBN 13 : 0719843731
Total Pages : 568 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (198 download)

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Book Synopsis Bugatti Supercars by : Lance Cole

Download or read book Bugatti Supercars written by Lance Cole and published by The Crowood Press. This book was released on 2024-06-10 with total page 568 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a fresh view of Bugatti, this book frames the design highlights of a series of Bugatti supercars that colour the marque's journey from its origins as an early 'supercar' to its reborn reality as a modern 'hypercar'. These Bugatti's have been chosen to tell a story that uniquely covers the original Bugatti's and the very latest iterations of Bugatti. Joining the two Bugatti camps, old and new, together creates a new roadmap of Bugatti coverage that is essential reading for both those familiar with the marque and for more recent Bugatti enthusiasts across a wider motoring landscape. Blending engineering, styling, art and more, Bugatti's unique story has stretched over one hundred years, giving us cars that capture the soul through exquisite engineering and design. Illustrated with stunning photographs, many of which are previously unpublished, the seasoned enthusiast, the established aficionado and the younger generation of Bugatti newcomers are provided with an up-to-date album of Bugatti information. The text is a guide by which to enter and explore Bugatti and also a conversation about Bugatti details and delights for those with deeper knowledge of the marque.

Women Behind the Wheel

Author : Nancy A. Nichols
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1639365605
Total Pages : 163 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (393 download)

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Book Synopsis Women Behind the Wheel by : Nancy A. Nichols

Download or read book Women Behind the Wheel written by Nancy A. Nichols and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2024-03-05 with total page 163 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the adolescent thrill of getting a driver's license to the dreaded commutes of adulthood, from vintage muscle cars to electric vehicles, this groundbreaking book reveals the outsized impact the car has had—and will continue to have—on the lives of women. Since their inception cars have defined American culture, but until quite recently car histories were largely written by and about men—with little attention given to the fascinating story of women and cars. In this engaging non-fiction narrative, Nancy A. Nichols, the daughter of a used car salesman, uses the cars her father sold and the ones her family drove to tell a larger story about how the car helped to define modern womanhood. From her sister’s classic Mustang to her mother’s Chevy Convertible to her own Honda minivan, Nichols tells a personal story in order to shed light on a universal one. Cars helped women secure the right to vote, changed the nature of romance, and influenced both fashion and child rearing customs. In the just over 100 years since their inception, cars have created possibilities for commerce and romance even as they exposed women to new kinds of danger. Women Behind the Wheel explores the uniquely gendered landscape of the automobile, detailing the many reasons why cars are both more expensive and more dangerous for women drivers. The automobile is on the cusp of momentous change. As we advance into the era of electric, connected, and autonomous vehicles, Nichols shows us why we should hit the brakes and look back in the rear-view mirror at this long and fascinating history. What is the role of the car in our lives? Should we be more skeptical of technology in our society? In Women Behind the Wheel, Nichols argues convincingly that only by understanding the many ways the car has changed us, can we hope to prepare ourselves for this brave new era.

The History of Speed

Author : Martin Roach
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1471189333
Total Pages : 281 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (711 download)

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Book Synopsis The History of Speed by : Martin Roach

Download or read book The History of Speed written by Martin Roach and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2020-10-29 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'A special treat...The pictures and stories combine to provide a rich texture to telling the difficult story of why we chase speed like an addiction.' Valerie Thompson, the world's fastest female motorcycle racer Ever since we built machines that could transport us, there has been a desire to find ways to make them go faster. For some, going faster isn't enough - they want to be the fastest. This book celebrates those who have built the machines and driven them at ever greater speeds. This is The History of Speed. Bestselling motorsport writer Martin Roach tells the extraordinary story of those who have come to be obsessed by speed. From Camille Jenatzy, 'the Red Devil', who became the first man to drive at over 100kmh in 1899, through the golden age of Malcolm Campbell and his Bluebird, and on to the modern era of jet- and rocket-propelled cars, we have gone faster and faster. But this book is not just about these record-breakers, Roach also looks at the technology, the engines and the inventors who helped progress in speed at all levels, from Formula One to the supercars from the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes that are eagerly snapped up by collectors, rarely to be seen on the road. Accompanied by some of the most stunning images of the cars and those who made and drove them, Roach tells a wonderful story of innovation and invention. He talks to some of the great drivers to find out what inspires them to risk their lives, and finds out from engineers how they developed their ideas. Along the way, we hear some remarkable tale and anecdotes, but also find out how the pursuit of speed can also have its costs, with many tragic heroes and heroines falling along the way. If you've ever thrilled to the roar of a sports car engine, of loved the feel of the g-force as you accelerate away, or even looked on in wonder at a powerful engine, The History of Speed is a book that you will not want to miss out on.

Lives for Sale

Author : Mark Bostridge
Publisher : A&C Black
ISBN 13 : 9780826475732
Total Pages : 252 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (757 download)

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Book Synopsis Lives for Sale by : Mark Bostridge

Download or read book Lives for Sale written by Mark Bostridge and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2004-10-12 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This is a collection of new essays by many of the best biographers now writing in Britain, not only the established names, but also the rising stars of the profession. These biographers' tales, based on personal experience, tell of the ups and downs of life writing: of shocking discoveries and frustrating dead ends, strange literary hauntings and curses, bitter professional rivalries and problems with families and friends of biographical subjects, and of ways in which the biographer's imagination can be inspired by a sense of place or touch of a letter."--BOOK JACKET.

Glamour

Author : Stephen Gundle
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0199569789
Total Pages : 485 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (995 download)

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Book Synopsis Glamour by : Stephen Gundle

Download or read book Glamour written by Stephen Gundle and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2009 with total page 485 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A history of glamour examines the phenemenon from its appearance in Paris in the final decades of the eighteenth century through today, discussing the nature of the magical allure, where it comes from, and what exactly is its magical elements.

Chaplin's Girl

Author : Miranda Seymour
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1847377378
Total Pages : 396 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (473 download)

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Book Synopsis Chaplin's Girl by : Miranda Seymour

Download or read book Chaplin's Girl written by Miranda Seymour and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2009-05-05 with total page 396 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1931, City Lightsintroduced Charlie Chaplin's new female star to the world. The film - defiantly silent in the age of talkies - was an immediate and international hit. The actress who played the romantic lead had never been on screen or stage before. Chaplin's film turned her into the most famous girl in the world. And, like Rhett Butler, the most famous girl in the world didn't give a damn. Virginia Cherrill was the beautiful daughter of an Illinois rancher, who ran away to live through some of Hollywood's wildest years. She was the adoring first wife who broke Cary Grant's heart when she left him; who turned down the gloriously eligible Maharajah of Jaipur to befriend his wife and rescue her from purdah. Virginia Cherrill presided, during the thirties, over one of England's loveliest houses, as the Countess of Jersey. Everybody sought her friendship. All that eluded her was love. And when she found it, she gave up all she had to marry a handsome and penniless Polish flying ace, whose dream it was to become a cowboy. In this glorious, and undiscovered story of Hollywood, international high society, wartime drama and romance, Miranda Seymour works from unpublished sources to recapture the personality of a woman so vividly enchanting that none could resist her. This is the story of Cinderalla in reverse: of the poor girl who won everything - and gave up all for love. Breathtakingly romantic, exquisitely written, this is the stuff that dreams are made of . . .

A Contemporary History of Women's Sport, Part One

Author : Jean Williams
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317746651
Total Pages : 483 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (177 download)

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Book Synopsis A Contemporary History of Women's Sport, Part One by : Jean Williams

Download or read book A Contemporary History of Women's Sport, Part One written by Jean Williams and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-04-24 with total page 483 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is an historical survey of women’s sport from 1850-1960. It looks at some of the more recent methodological approaches to writing sports history and raises questions about how the history of women’s sport has so far been shaped by academic writers. Questions explored in this text include: What are the fresh perspectives and newly available sources for the historian of women’s sport? How do these take forward established debates on women’s place in sporting culture and what novel approaches do they suggest? How can our appreciation of fashion, travel, food and medical history be advanced by looking at women’s involvement in sport? How can we use some of the current ideas and methodologies in the recent literature on the history and sociology of sport in order to look afresh at women’s participation? Jean Williams’s original research on these topics and more will be a useful resource for scholars in the fields of sports, women’s studies, history and sociology.

The Pity of War

Author : Miranda Seymour
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1442241756
Total Pages : 529 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (422 download)

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Book Synopsis The Pity of War by : Miranda Seymour

Download or read book The Pity of War written by Miranda Seymour and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2014-10-30 with total page 529 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1613, a beautiful Stuart princess married a handsome young German prince. This was a love match, but it was also an alliance that aimed to meld Europe's two great Protestant powers. Before Elizabeth and Frederick left London for the court in Heidelberg, they watched a performance of The Winter's Tale. In 1943, a group of British POWs gave a performance of that same play to a group of enthusiastic Nazi guards in Bavaria. Nothing about the story of England and Germany, as this remarkable book demonstrates, is as simple as we might expect. Miranda Seymour tells the forgotten story of England’s centuries of profound connection and increasingly rivalrous friendship with Germany, linked by a shared faith, a shared hunger for power, a shared culture (Germany never doubted that Shakespeare belonged to them, as much as to England), and a shared leadership. German monarchs ruled over England for three hundred years—and only ceased to do so through a change of name. This extraordinary and heart-breaking history—told through the lives of princes and painters, soldiers and sailors, bakers and bankers, charlatans and saints—traces two countries so entwined that one German living in England in 1915 refused to choose where his allegiance lay. It was, he said, as if his parents had quarreled. Germany’s connection to the island it loved, patronized, influenced, and fought was unique. Indeed, British soldiers went to war in 1914 against a country to which many of them—as one freely confessed the week before his death on the battlefront—felt more closely connected than to their own. Drawing on a wealth of unpublished papers and personal interviews, the author has uncovered stories that remind us—poignantly, wittily, and tragically—of the powerful bonds many have chosen to forget.

The NextGen Guide to Car Collecting

Author : Robert C. Yeager
Publisher : Motorbooks
ISBN 13 : 0760373388
Total Pages : 194 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (63 download)

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Book Synopsis The NextGen Guide to Car Collecting by : Robert C. Yeager

Download or read book The NextGen Guide to Car Collecting written by Robert C. Yeager and published by Motorbooks. This book was released on 2022-10-25 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Satisfy your dream collector-car desires with this one-stop reference for starting or expanding your collection beyond traditional classics and muscle cars. Focusing on the interests and needs of Generation X and Millennial car collectors, The NextGen Guide to Car Collecting offers a concise history of car collecting to present day, guidance on car buying and living the car-collector life, and an overview of collector cars with a focus on cars built from the 1970s through the 1990s while also touching on more contemporary cars. Chapters highlight Japanese, American, and European cars, particularly those models that have experienced the greatest growth in collector interest over the past decade. The NextGen Guide to Car Collecting explores the many ways the Internet and social media have changed the classic car marketplace. You’ll learn how to buy a classic car online without suffering buyer’s remorse, as well as the four critical keys to a happy collector-vehicle relationship: 1) possessing discretionary cash for the initial purchase; 2) obtaining a thorough knowledge of the car and its ownership; 3) the critical pre-purchase inspection; and 4) access to a work space. You’ll also find out why the popularity of late twentieth-century specialty cars will continue to grow (think increasing electronic complication and the still-large number of enthusiasts for whom “self-driving” means driving themselves) and explore the attributes that makes these cars desirable collector vehicles. In addition, the book looks at the significant increases in quality and reliability of post-1970s machines and how that impacts their collectibility. Finally, learn why expectations that your newfound classic could outlast our current crop of lithium-ion-dependent electric cars may not be unrealistic: recent developments like ride-hailing and sharing services; expanded public transit; rental bikes and scooters; and garage condos and other storage options could actually extend the life of your “new” classic permitting you to truly tailor the use of your classics. Whether your collection requires a one-stall garage or a pole barn, the practical, useful information and keen perspective of The NextGen Guide to Car Collecting will ensure you pull this volume from your shelf time and again.

Power Under Her Foot

Author : Chris Lezotte
Publisher : McFarland
ISBN 13 : 1476631735
Total Pages : 201 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (766 download)

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Book Synopsis Power Under Her Foot by : Chris Lezotte

Download or read book Power Under Her Foot written by Chris Lezotte and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2018-07-25 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since their introduction in 1964, American muscle cars have been closely associated with masculinity. In the 21st century, women have been a growing presence in the muscle car world, exhibiting classic cars at automotive events and rumbling to work in modern Mustangs, Camaros and Challengers. Informed by the experiences of 88 female auto enthusiasts, this book highlights women's admiration and passion for American muscle, and reveals how restoring, showing and driving classic and modern cars provides a means to challenge longstanding perceptions of women drivers and advance ideas of identity and gender equality.

24 Hours

Author : Richard Williams
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1398517232
Total Pages : 324 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (985 download)

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Book Synopsis 24 Hours by : Richard Williams

Download or read book 24 Hours written by Richard Williams and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2023-05-25 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Award-winning writer Richard Williams tells the remarkable story of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, one of the world's most iconic motorsports events, which celebrates its centenary in 2023. The event was created by a group of Frenchmen in 1923 and remains uniquely compelling to spectators, to the major motor manufacturers who continue to see it as an opportunity for priceless publicity, as well as to drivers hoping to add their names to its distinguished roll of honour. Between the wars, those manufacturers included Bugatti, Bentley and Alfa Romeo. Subsequently, Ferrari, Jaguar, Mercedes, Aston Martin, Ford, Porsche, Audi and Toyota have all been serial winners, guaranteeing the continuation of ferocious inter-marque rivalry. Over the decades the race acquired a rich folklore, including stories of leaking petrol tanks being sealed with chewing gum, one competitor making his last pit-stop for a fill-up and a glass of champagne, or the woman who drove her MG through the night wearing a fur coat. Competitors have included princes, debutantes, drug smugglers and a Nazi spy. Leading Hollywood film-makers lured to the romance of the race include Steve McQueen, who conceived and starred in Le Mans in 1971, and James Mangold, who made Le Mans ’66 in 2019. But in 1955 it had also been the scene of the greatest tragedy ever to befall motor racing, when 82 people were killed by a competing car, an accident that for a while threatened the sport’s entire future. From the Bentley Boys of the 1920s, through record-breaking multiple winners Jacky Ickx and Tom Kristensen to modern stars such as Allan McNish, 24 Hours celebrates the skill, courage and technical brilliance of the men and women who gave the race its worldwide renown.

Making the Most of Mess

Author : Emery Roe
Publisher : Duke University Press
ISBN 13 : 082239569X
Total Pages : 218 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (223 download)

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Book Synopsis Making the Most of Mess by : Emery Roe

Download or read book Making the Most of Mess written by Emery Roe and published by Duke University Press. This book was released on 2013-03-27 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Making the Most of Mess, Emery Roe emphasizes that policy messes cannot be avoided or cleaned up; they need to be managed. He shows how policymakers and other professionals can learn these necessary skills from control operators who manage large critical infrastructures such as water supplies, telecommunications systems, and electricity grids. The ways in which they prevent major accidents and failures offer models for policymakers and other professionals to manage the messes they face. Throughout, Roe focuses on the global financial mess of 2008 and its ongoing aftermath, showing how mismanagement has allowed it to morph into other national and international messes. More effective management is still possible for this and many other policy messes but that requires better recognition of patterns and formulation of scenarios, as well as the ability to translate pattern and scenario into reliability. Developing networks of professionals who respond to messes is particularly important. Roe describes how these networks enable the avoidance of bad or worse messes, take advantage of opportunities resulting from messes, and address societal and professional challenges. In addition to finance, he draws from a wide range of case material in other policy arenas. Roe demonstrates that knowing how to manage policy messes is the best approach to preventing crises.

Thrumpton Hall

Author : Miranda Seymour
Publisher : Harper Collins
ISBN 13 : 0061862843
Total Pages : 300 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (618 download)

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Book Synopsis Thrumpton Hall by : Miranda Seymour

Download or read book Thrumpton Hall written by Miranda Seymour and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2009-10-13 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A biography and family memoir by turns hilarious and heart-wrenching, Miranda Seymour's Thrumpton Hall is a riveting, frequently shocking, and ultimately unforgettable true story of the devastating consequences of obsessive desire and misplaced love. "Dear Thrumpton, how I miss you tonight." When twenty-one-year-old George Seymour wrote these words in 1944, the object of his affection was not a young woman but the beautiful country house in Nottinghamshire that he desired above all else. Miranda Seymour would later be raised at Thrumpton Hall—her upbringing far from idyllic, as life revolved around her father's odd capriciousness. The house took priority over everything, even his family—until the day when George Seymour, in his golden years, began dressing in black leather and riding powerful motorbikes around the countryside in the company of surprising friends. For fans of Downton Abbey—the show’s creator, Julian Fellowes, called it “brilliant, original, and intensely readable”—Thrumpton Hall is a poignant and memorable true story of family.

Tail of the Tigress

Author : David deVire
Publisher : eBook Partnership
ISBN 13 : 0995457611
Total Pages : 388 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (954 download)

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Book Synopsis Tail of the Tigress by : David deVire

Download or read book Tail of the Tigress written by David deVire and published by eBook Partnership. This book was released on 2016-09-12 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Throughout history men and women have lived with inequality. Now, in our sophisticated modern society, is the gender-gap finally diminishing, does it still exist? What are the facts; could women dominate from boardroom to bedroom? And, which position do women prefer; is being on top really all it's cracked up to be?

Gender and French Identity after the Second World War, 1944-1954

Author : Kelly Ricciardi Colvin
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1350031135
Total Pages : 370 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (5 download)

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Book Synopsis Gender and French Identity after the Second World War, 1944-1954 by : Kelly Ricciardi Colvin

Download or read book Gender and French Identity after the Second World War, 1944-1954 written by Kelly Ricciardi Colvin and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2017-09-07 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The enfranchisement of women in Charles de Gaulle's France in 1944 is considered a potent element in the nation's self-crafted, triumphant World War Two narrative: the French, conquered by the Germans, valiantly resisted until they rescued themselves and built a new democracy, honoring France's longstanding liberal traditions. Kelly Ricciardi Colvin's Gender and French Identity after the Second World War, 1944-1954 calls that potent element into question. By analyzing a range of sources, including women's magazines, trials, memoirs, and spy novels, this book explores the ways in which culture was used to limit the power of the female vote. It exposes a wide network of constructed behavioral norms that supported a conservative vision of French identity. Taken together, they depicted men as virile Resistors for French democracy and history, and women as solely domestic support. Indeed Colvin shows that women's access to the vote emerged alongside an explosion of cultural messages that encouraged them to retreat into the home, to find mates, to have 'millions of beautiful babies', in the words of de Gaulle, and not to challenge patriarchy in any way. This is a vital study for understanding the nature of postwar France and women's history in 20th-century Europe.