Turning the Tide: The Life of Lady Rhondda

Drawing upon a varied array of sources, many of which were previously unused, this rich biography explores the public achievements and the fascinating private world of one of the most influential people in British society in the first half of the 20th century. The book tells the remarkable tale of Margaret Haig Thomas, the Second Viscountess Rhondda, a Welsh suffragette who held important posts during the First World War and who survived the sinking of the Lusitania. As a leading British industrialist, Thomas was instrumental in securing a seat for women in the House of Lords. Closely associated with figures such as Vera Britain, Winifred Holtby, and George Bernard Shaw, she also founded and edited the progressive weekly Time and Tide, which dazzled British society with its cutting-edge perspectives—including championing progressive views on women’s rights in the 1920s—and which became a respected political commentator on national and international affairs. As she examines Lady Rhondda’s achievements, biographer Angela V. John firmly roots them in their historical context, offering readers a fully realized portrait of a pivotal period in British history.

Angela V. John is a widely published historian and biographer and the author of nine books, including Elizabeth Robins: Staging a Life and Evelyn Sharp: Reble Woamn, 1869–1955. She is an honorary professor at Aberystwyth University and the vice president of Llafur, the Welsh People’s History Society.