English Summary/英文概要： Writing Female Smugglers of the Nineteenth Century has proved quite a challenge, but a fascinating one. This was a century when the romantic notion of smuggling – bold runs onto beaches with kegs of alcohol – was diminishing as duties were slowly eroded on such highly desirable goods. But it was a century when more innovative and ingenious ways of smuggling a larger variety of goods came to the fore. Tobacco and alcohol, yes, but also lace, luxury fabrics and garments, jewellery and even looms were being smuggled in, and out of the U.K. This was not the century of the popular “pirate” figures of the eighteenth century with its famous female figureheads. The early part of the nineteenth century saw women involved in helping their husbands and family with unloading and distributing goods, seen as a survival necessity given their limited incomes … latterly, more well-heeled women on superior vessels were smuggling goods for themselves, often thanks to the fashion for bustles!

Of course, as in all areas of history, women are often disregarded and demoted to second-rate roles, so finding out about such women has only been possible thanks to court records, oral history, and newspaper reports. As a result, the subject has not been covered elsewhere in any great detail and this book attempts to resolve that gap. It covers the whole of the U.K. and has chapters on the U.S.A. and Europe and is intended to entertain and amuse as well as, perhaps, to educate.

Awards/获奖情况： Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I’m not that much into non-fiction but there are themes that I simply must read due their originality and research and this book is definitely one of those! Reading it made me almost feel like I wasn’t reading non-fiction since the text was both interesting and well conveyed. I wish this kind of book brings more literature and studies about how women are way more badass than most people think! I’ll be totally looking forwards more books from this author!-NetGalley, K. Rafyra

This book explores the innovative world of 19th-century smuggling, during a time when tariffs were declining and the nature of smuggling was changing. The book focuses on the largely untold stories of women involved in this illicit trade—from those driven by necessity to those seeking personal gain. Looking primarily at the UK, but also the USA and Europe, the book draws on court records and other sources to offer an entertaining and informative look at a hidden chapter of history.-NetGalley, Andrea Romance

The title of this book caught my eye and intrigued me as female smugglers are not something I’ve seen mentioned or alluded to in historical books, at least not nonfiction. I found this book to be well researched with a number of stories where many females played both primary and secondary roles in the smuggling trade in addition to other interesting facts and stories.-NetGalley, Christina Woudwyk

Dee Gordon is an East Ender who has been a Southend resident for nearly thirty years. She started writing in the 1960s, selling many teenage romances (picture stories) to the likes of Romeo, Marilyn, and Mirabelle. However, when she got a “proper” job – in the recruitment industry – she found that the only way to succeed was to focus on the job and let the writing slide. Having had her own successful recruitment business for nearly twenty years meant that, in 2000, she was able to take the opportunity to write pretty much full time – allowing for the demands of her autistic son, that is. Before picking up her pen, the first thing she did was to complete her English Literature degree with the Open University, something that she had wanted to achieve to prove she could write more than training manuals and business plans. So far, her published work encompasses novel (Meat Market – about recruitment, what else – and My Little Brother, My Little Life, due for publication August 2015), a self-published poetry anthology (Bad Girls which was launched at Southend Library as part of their National Year of Reading programme) and twelve local history books including Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deaths in and around Southend-on-Sea for Pen-and-Sword. See www.deegordon-writer.com for more information on Dee, the talks she gives to raise money for Southend Mencap, and, of course, her books.