Mary Turner

Mary Turner taught history for many years, and was an A-level examiner. As a teacher, she was passionate about counteracting negative beliefs held by her students and found that women's history was the perfect vehicle to inspire them. As part of her on-going message she even burnt her bra at a school assembly. Since going freelance she has written on a variety of subjects including women's history, nostalgia and family history. Her articles have appeared in several publications both at home and abroad. She lives in north London.

The Women's Century

A celebration of changing roles 1900-2000.
The twentieth century saw female roles change more rapidly than during any other period of history. In 1900 women were domestic creatures: wives, mothers, workers and ornaments. Some had long sought new rights and freedoms. In the course of a turbulent century - which included two World Wars and an explosion in technology and communications - women gained a vote and a voice, and by 2000 had permeated every male bastion from the professional workplace to the corridors of power. This illustrated survey charts that incredible journey in the UK. Women from all walks of life are featured in anecdotes from a wealth of sources including many from the National Archives.

Foreword by Jenni Murray of Woman's Hour - published by The National Archives
'a brilliant record of the century' - Jenni Murray
'a fabulous book' - Maggie Philbin

The Women's Century: a celebration of changing roles 1900-2000' was published last November and has since been reprinted. Jenni Murray of Woman's Hour who wrote the foreword described it as 'a brilliant record of the century'. The National Archives are pleased with its success and have asked me to write another book for them. So, rather belatedly, I'd like to thank you for being so frank about my work - without your criticism I may still have been struggling to write fiction. I still have a hankering to write a novel . . . if I do decide to try fiction again I will definitely use your service to keep me on the right track.

Mary Turner

No matter how much you think you know about the terrible injustices suffered by women in the past and the extraordinary progress that was achieved within such a short time, there is always something new to shock you or make you burst with pride. This book is a brilliant record of the century in which the gender landscape of this country altered beyond all recognition. The great leaps forward and the little steps back are recorded but, most importantly, Mary Turner includes the human stories of individual women.

from the foreword by Jenni Murray