Book Review of Philomena Goodman's book "Women, Sexuality and War".

Philomena Goodman in her book, Women, Sexuality and War, writes a rebuttal against those historians who dismiss women's war and oral history as reputable and worthwhile. In the introduction Goodman spends a lot of time justifying her use of oral histories in her book. Stating that 'critics of oral history suggest memory is an unreliable source of information'. She refutes it with the argument, 'oral history is not a transparent representation of experience or a …

…concern over sexuality? They viewed it as a threat, but was it justified? It has to be remembered that studying and analysing gender is a complicated undertaking. Women and war is a relatively new area of historical study and despite the book's weaknesses, Goodman deserves commendation for the effort taken to construct this account. Bibliography Goodman, Philomena. Women, Sexuality and War, New York, 2002. <Tab/> Written by Amanda Turner University of Auckland 2004