The Story Of V : Opening Pandora's Box

Description

'A meticulous guide not only to the vagina but to changing perceptions of womanhood' Observer
It is the seat of female sexual pleasure, and the passage for both the creation and the birth of humankind. Yet we know less about the vagina than we do about any other organ of the human body. Why? In this dazzling smorgasbord of facts about female genitalia, Catherine Blackledge explores how the vagina has been conceived and misconceived over the centuries. In the past, medicine has misrepresented female sexual anatomy, reducing its remarkable complexities to the notion of a passive vessel. But, as this book shows, science is at last beginning to reveal the true structure and function of female genitalia, and the dynamic nature of the vagina's role in both sexual pleasure and reproduction. With a wide-ranging perspective that takes in prehistoric art, ancient history, linguistics, mythology, evolutionary theory, reproductive biology and medicine, Catherine Blackledge unveils the hidden marvels of the female form.

About the Author:
Cath Blackledge has a Ph.D. in chemistry from Birkbeck College, London. She has worked as a reporter, news editor and editor for numerous specialist publications, including European Chemical News and Pharmaceutical Business News, and is a former science and medical correspondent for The European. Now a freelance science writer and broadcaster, she also holds a part-time research position at the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine. In 1999, she was shortlisted for the prestigious Glaxo Science Writers Prize.

Promotion info

'The Story of V reveals the ancient and newfound powers of the vagina.It is full of mystery and secrets and truth. If we only knew what we had under our skirts! Learn the story - read this book' Eve Ensler, author of the Vagina Monologues Hardback reprinted within weeks of first publication and rights now sold in 9 countries 'A persuasive and exhaustive study of the history, culture and reproductive power of female genitalia...a mind-boggling smorgasbord of fanny facts...the author is a phenomenal researcher and movingly enthusiastic about her special subject. This is as persuasive, comprehensive and wide-reaching a study as you could wish for' Joanna Briscoe, Guardian 'Her quest moves from the mythic to the scientific, presented in a lively, accessible style...well-researched, convincingly argued...an empowering and enlightening book' Katie Donovan, Irish Times 'A serious and well-researched look at how attitudes and information have changed over the centuries... completely fascinating' Jeanette Winterson

Reviews

'Sings of the triumphant vagina that may have its detractors in the West but elsewhere - and in nature - is heroic, honoured and revered... The West gets it wrong. But even in our benighted civilzation the vagina's glories are just below the surface and there to be recuperated... This is a finely produced book from a major publisher and it is meant to bee taken seriously. -- Thomas Laquer TLS 'For a full discussion of the revolution in biological thinking about the vagina that has happened over the last seven years, you need Catherine Blackledge's exuberant (and PURPLE) THE STORY OF V' -- Lucy Ellman The Herald

Author description

Cath Blackledge has a Ph.D. in chemistry from Birkbeck College, London. She has worked as a reporter, news editor and editor for numerous specialist publications, including European Chemical News and Pharmaceutical Business News, and is a former science and medical correspondent for The European. Now a freelance science writer and broadcaster, she also holds a part-time research position at the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine. In 1999, she was shortlisted for the prestigious Glaxo Science Writers Prize.