The Secret History of single Women in the Twentieth Century. Journalist Betsy Israel chronicles the ever-changing life of the single woman since the late-1800s. Drawing extensively on primary sources, including private journals, newspaper stories, magazine articles, advertisements, films and television programmes, Israel paints a vivid portrait of single women - and the way they were perceived - from the late-19th century to the turn of the 21st. From the Bowery girls of New York and the flappers of the Roaring Twenties to the working women of the War years and the "ballbreaking" career women of the 1980s, single women have long had an uneasy relationship with the rest of society. The author shines a light on the (often quite ludicrous) old stereotypes that have been used to keep single women in their place, and celebrates their spirit and resourcefulness in the face of condemnation and contempt from commentators anxious that unattached females might undermine the social fabric.