"This book is a skilful excavation of nuggets of incredible herstories. Paula Bartley fills crucial gaps and silences in global political history, setting a gold standard for historical research on women in national governance. Trailblazers inspires feminist scholars to expand the knowledge of such actors through full-blown biographies."Sylvia Tamale, author of When Hens Begin to Crow: Gender and Parliamentary Politics in Uganda"An outstanding groundbreaking study with a truly global reach. Highly recommended."Diane Atkinson, author of Rise Up, Women! The Remarkable Lives of the Suffragettes"Paula Bartley has written a sweeping history of the first women elected to major national government positions around the world. Her pioneering study is engagingly written, widely researched and fills an important gap in our understanding of women's roles across the twentieth century."Kathleen McCarthy, Director, Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society at The Graduate Center, CUNY
