From Plymouth to Parliament
Subtitle: a rhetorical history of Nancy Astor's 1919 campaign
By: Karen J. Musolf.
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: 1999
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 244
Subjects: Astor, Nancy Witcher Langhorne Astor, Viscountess, 1879-1964.; Great Britain. Parliament -- Elections, 1919.; Rhetoric -- Political aspects -- Great Britain -- History -- 20th century.; Women legislators -- Great Britain -- Biography.; Americans -- Great Britain -- Biography.; Nobility -- Great Britain -- Biography.; Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1910-1936.
Description: Nancy Astor, the first woman to take a seat in the British House of Commons, has been a fascinating subject for most of the twentieth century. Recognized for her efforts on behalf of women, remembered for her witty exchanges with Winston Churchill, and criticized for Fascist leanings, she was also a campaigner par excellence - winning seven consecutive elections over twenty-five years.

Offering insights from a rhetorical perspective, From Plymouth to Parliament is the first in-depth exploration of Astor's initial parliamentary campaign in 1919. Karen J. Musolf reveals how Astor surmounted obstacles in creating an acceptable persona, gathering women voters, confronting opponents, chastising hecklers, and coping with an unruly press - no small feats for an American divorcee who married into the prominent Astor family.

Musolf draws upon primary sources from the Astor archives and focuses on the dynamic interplay of voices heard throughout the campaign.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [225]-238) and index.