attempt is made to cover the period 800 BCE - Women and politics during the period is CE1800. This is highlighted under subtitles that also highlighted, strictly from the view point of include the role of women in pre-literate society, referenced citations or else from the stereotypical the Sumerian civilization (3500 BCE - 2000BCE), views. Although the authors claim that literature and women's roles from 3000 BCE - CE 600. on the cultural and social world of women during Also, within the framework of this historical the nineteenth century is scanty or thin, there is a period, mention is made of women's legal status substantial body of literature written in Arabic on and social rights, as well their role in economic the same theme. life. In the section on the twentieth century, The last section of this part puts the enhancement of women's status and their emphasis on the status of women in the Islamic positive role in politics, economy and culture period in CE 610 in Arabia. Here, the authors have been highlighted. Although the book is a believe that many of the older beliefs and scholarly, referenced writing, it is not free of practices regarding women were institutionalized some gaps that have to be bridged with the in the religious law of . Nonetheless, before necessary rational interpretations. the death of the prophet Mohamed, women in Islamic society had a visible role in the social, Dr. Ahmed Abdel Magied political and economic aspects of life. However, Ahfad University of Women parities in inheritance, rights for and Omdurman, Sudan others have been addressed without any discussion of arguments concerning the claims to Islamic wisdom behind them. Moreover, no mention, whatsoever, is made to the Women in : Restoring Women to contemporary and strong Islamic movement that History. Barbara N. Ramusack and Sharon challenges the selefist interpretations of the Sievers. Bloomington: Indiana University Qura'anic verses and Hadeeth in connection with women's status and rights. In addition, Press, 1999; 266 pages; maps.; ISBN 0-253- overlooking the status of Middle Eastern women 21267; $14.95 US. in Judaism and Christianity in this part of the book omits necessary and crucial information Writing history is an arduous task; about the comparability of women's low status in restoring women to history is a formidable the three religions. enterprise. The challenge becomes overwhelming when the location of women whose historic roles Part II of the book deals with the status are under study lies in an area where women's of Middle Eastern and North African women gendered roles have assumed a make-believe during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. world of reality. Here, an attempt is made to reveal the impact of European imperialism and colonialism on Long before the editor of Atlantis asked women's status as reflected by a confusion me to write this review I was not only familiar between modernity and tradition. Within the with the volume under review but the whole perspective of the world economy, the economic series of four books that formed the original status of some North African women (for project of Restoring Women to History example, in Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria) and others undertaken by the Organization of American from Syria and Turkey is highlighted. Here, the Historians. While getting ready to teach a course role of colonials as women's custodians is over- on "Women in : Culture and Tradition" exaggerated, because the authors neglect the in the Fall of 2001 at Gettysburg College, I was positive role of the indigenous nationalist searching for a history text that would give an movement. For instance, Gasim Amin of Egypt overview to my young North American students advocated and struggled for Egyptian and Muslim of history with women at the centre. An women's human rights more than two centuries observation of the series editors' in the ago! introduction of this volume helped me to select Women in Asia as the book I was in search of. The note, while recounting the challenges of saying: "For the next four years the Rani tried to Third World Women's History (the emphasis is secure the rights of her adopted son, and mine), said: "It is important to avoid three eventually she joined the revolt of Indian troops common pitfalls: interpreting women as the in 1857" (emphasis is mine). A slight twist of the exotic, women as victims, and women as words and phrases changes the whole role of anomalies" (xvii). Indian women leaders in the First War of The book fulfills a gap long felt in Independence of 1857. Later, however, the teaching a general understanding of women's narrative brings up women's activism both in the historic roles in Asia. The style is simple and free reform and the nationalist movement of the of jargon. Unlike most similar works, this one twentieth century. All of this discussion heavily places glossaries, maps, and chronologies at the relies on non-Indian sources. beginning and not the end, which makes the In her second narrative of "Women's reading easy and smooth. In terms of time and History in South ," Ramusack guides the span this study glides through centuries, from the reader to , Thailand, Cambodia, , earliest to the 1990s. It explores human , and the . Once experience as informed and shaped by a diverse again, the task of recreating women's roles from terrain of concepts, philosophies and beliefs, 1500 BCE to the most recent is a challenging one, ranging from the Vedic, Hindu, Buddhist, and and the information is drawn from historical Islamic patterns. writings in the English language, so that the The volume falls into two sections. The author's arguments tend to emphasise outside first section, "Women in South and Southeast influences on local ideas and movements. Overall, Asia" (1-141) is authored by Professor Barbara however, the work is a commendable addition to Ramusack and the second one, "Women in , the scarce writings on South East Asian women's Japan, and " (143-2540), is by Professor history. Sharon Sievers. Both these sections have Sharon Sievers covers a similarly wide extensive bibliographies including only secondary area in terms of space and chronology in her sources written in the non-indigenous languages section on "Women in East Asia" which by researchers and authors either from outside the reconstructs the history of China, Japan, and regions or by those trained at and informed by Korea for us. With the help of diligently prepared non-indigenous institutions. This is by no means a maps, chronologies and bibliographies, Sievers in reflection on the credibility of the authors' her study analyses the impact of , research tools and methodology. What it does, Neo-Confucianism, , Taoism, and other however, is change the focus of events and philosophies and beliefs on women's lives and analysis of roles and thus create a perspective experiences. The author has finely dealt with the different from a 's. issue of footbinding custom in China (182-84) Let me give an example to illustrate what and how it should be examined in classroom I mean by this oversight of a selective use of teachings. sources for restoring women to history. Women in Asia successfully reconstructs Ramusack's narrative of women in South Asia has women's history for the use of classroom teaching overlooked even a simple inclusion of the name in the colleges in the West. At the same time, it of Chand Bibi, who challenged the power of the sets out the possibilities of further research with mightiest Mughal, Emperor Akbar, in the the help of well-prepared bibliographies. seventeenth century of the Christian era. Similarly amazing is the lack of knowledge of the role of Tahera Aftab Begum Hazrat Mahal, who led the armies of both Gettysburg College Hindu and Muslim male stalwarts against the British colonialists in the first War of Independence in 1857. Ramusack does mention Feminist Locations: Global and Local, the role of Rani Lakshmi Bai, another charismatic Theory and Practice. Marianne Dekoven, leader and Hazrat Mahal's contemporary by editor. New Jersey: Rutgers University Press,