The Hottentot Venus: The Life and Death of Saartjie Baartman: Born 1789 - Buried 2002 - Softcover

Holmes, Rachel

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0747592845 ISBN 13: 9780747592846

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, 2008

Synopsis

In 1810 Saartjie Baartman was London's most famous curiosity. Famed for her exquisite physique - in particular her shapely bottom - she was stared at, stripped, pinched, painted, worshipped and ridiculed. But this tragic young South African woman was also a symbol of the abolished slave trade, exploitation and colonialism. In this scintillating and vividly written book the full arc of Baartman's extraordinary life is traced for the first time.

About this title

About the Author:

Rachel Holmes was educated in South Africa and England. From 1991 to 1998 she held lectureships in English at Queen Mary College, University of London and the University of Sussex. In 1998 she became part of the launch team of amazon.co.uk, where she was website manager until 2002. Her first book, Scanty Particulars: The Life of Dr James Barry, was published to critical acclaim in 2002. She is currently writing a life of Eleanor Marx. A broadcaster, columnist and reviewer, she is director of Friends of TAC, the organisation that supports the Treatment Action Campaign in the fight for HIV and AIDS in South Africa.

Review:

'I am convinced that The Hottentot Venus is going to cause a real literary stir, rescuing its eponymous heroine from almost two centuries of misunderstanding. This is a sharply focused, elegantly written, gripping story, meticulous in its research and scholarship. Rachel Holmes wears her considerable authority lightly and delightfully. There is fine imaginative writing here, as well as strong, pointed argument and ideas.' Professor Lisa Jardine

About this edition

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0747592845
• ISBN 13: 9780747592846
• Binding: Print on Demand (Paperback)
• Number of pages: 256