The Patriarchs

How Men Came to Rule

By: Angela Saini

Narrated by: Sohm Kapila

Length: 10 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

SHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITING 2023

A WATERSTONES BOOK OF YEAR FOR POLITICS 2023

‘I learned something new on every page of this totally essential book’ Sathnam Sanghera

‘By thinking about gendered inequality as rooted in something unalterable within us, we fail to see it for what it is: something more fragile that has had to be constantly remade and reasserted.’

In this bold and radical book, award-winning science journalist Angela Saini goes in search of the true roots of gendered oppression, uncovering a complex history of how male domination became embedded in societies and spread across the globe from prehistory into the present.

Travelling to the world’s earliest known human settlements, analysing the latest research findings in science and archaeology, and tracing cultural and political histories from the Americas to Asia, she overturns simplistic universal theories to show that what patriarchy is and how far it goes back really depends on where you are.

Despite the push back against sexism and exploitation in our own time, even revolutionary efforts to bring about equality have often ended in failure and backlash. Saini ends by asking what part we all play – women included – in keeping patriarchal structures alive, and why we need to look beyond the old narratives to understand why it persists in the present.

©2023 Angela Saini (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

"A deep and incisive look at the historical origins of patriarchal structures we are still fighting today. A must-read for every feminist." (Rafia Zakaria, author of Against White Feminism)

"This is a truly excellent, important and insightful book. By unpacking the terms “patriarchy” and “feminism”, Saini reveals that the words themselves have complex histories. She reminds us to critique every piece of evidence and wade back through centuries of misunderstanding, misrepresentation and mistruths. A glorious work!" (Janina Ramirez)

Good and not so good

The book is not really talking about origins of patriarchy, in return in the first half it talks about exceptions of powerful women in history despite patriarchy.
She mentions Gerda Lerner’s book a couple of times, but I can’t help disagreeing with her interpretation of the text she uses.
On the other hand, the writer gives a very good overview of different political systems and their influences on women rights and movements. Another positive point of the book is that it covers the most recent movements of Iranian women relatively widely.
Reading recommended 👍🏻👍🏻