Philip Nash, "Clare Boothe Luce: American Renaissance Woman" (Routledge, 2022)
Philip Nash's book\xa0Clare Boothe Luce: American Renaissance Woman\xa0(Routledge, 2022) is a concise and highly readable political biography that examines the life of one of the most accomplished American women of the 20th century.\nWife and mother, author, editor, playwright, political activist, war journalist, Congresswoman, ambassador, pundit, and feminist\u2014Luce did it all. Carefully placing Luce in a series of shifting historical contexts, this book offers the reader an insight into mid-century American political, cultural, gender, and foreign relations history. Eleven primary sources follow the text, including excerpts from Luce\u2019s diary, letters, speeches, and published works, as well as a TV talk-show appearance and a critic\u2019s diary entry describing an evening with her, helping readers to understand her fascinating life. Together, the narrative and documents afford readers a brief yet in-depth look at Luce with all her complications: glamorous intellectual, acid-tongued diplomat, and feminist conservative, she was a deeply flawed high-achiever who repeatedly challenged the entrenched sexism of her age to become a significant actor in the rise of the \u201cAmerican Century.\u201d\nAddressing the neglect suffered by women in foreign relations history, this will be of interest to students and scholars of US foreign relations, 20th-century US history, and US women\u2019s history.\nVictoria Phillips\xa0is a Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics in the Department of International History.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices\nSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/gender-studies