NELL MCSHANE WULFHART is a frequent contributor to the New York Times travel section and wrote the column "Carry On" from 2016-2019. She has written for Travel + Leisure, Bon Appetit, Conde Nast Traveler, The Wall Street Journal Magazine, and T Magazine. She is the author of the Audible Original Off Menu.
Named a Best Book of the Year by The Washington Post •
Longlisted for PEN America's John Kenneth Galbraith Award for
Nonfiction
"I've spent so much of my life on the road that stewardesses have
always been my friends in the sky. Now I am glad to see The Great
Stewardess Rebellion, … the true story of women who stood up to
huge corporations and won, creating momentous change for all
working women.”
--Gloria Steinem, co-founder of Ms. magazine
“A meticulously detailed history. . . Rollicking. . . Shocking,
infuriating and excruciating. . . [Wulfhart’s] account credits [the
stewardesses] as having played a pioneering role in fighting sex
discrimination, and she tells the story well. . . It is dramatic,
invigorating and instructive as a textbook example of the courage,
ingenuity and persistence it takes to effect such progress.”
--The New York Times Book Review
“Wulfhart brings a treasure trove of vintage ads and relatable
anecdotes to The Great Stewardess Rebellion. . . Wulfhart, through
her prodigious research, secures a place for the women who endured
all manner of indignities to forge a better future for those who
put their lives on the line every day in a job once regarded as
frivolous.”
--The Washington Post
“Wulfhart’s exhilarating account describes how a number of
stewardesses, galvanized by the women’s movement, took on the
airlines and won. . . Wulfhart is a vivid storyteller who writes
with energy and style, and the experiences of Patt and Tommie,
passionately pushing both the airline and the union to catch up
with the changing times, lend her account poignancy.”
--The Wall Street Journal
“An astonishing exposé of [flight attendants’] long struggle for
respect and equality. . . This largely under-chronicled aspect of
recent women’s history is a valuable reminder of how far women have
come. . . [A] relevant and urgent read.”
--The Guardian
“Engaging. . . The Great Stewardess Rebellion recount[s] journeys
towards self-respect and empowerment. [It’s] a trip worth
taking.”
--NPR.org
“The Great Stewardess Rebellion has it all: ’60s glam, sharp and
brave heroines, and one of the most dramatic and consequential
feminist battles in American history. A grippingly told and
unforgettable story.”
--Abbott Kahler, author of The Ghosts of Eden Park
"Vivid, inspiring and full of twists, The Great Stewardess
Rebellion reveals how a pair of young women helped build a mighty
union and transformed an industry forever. Wulfhart has unearthed a
story of rare power, and she tells it with passion and skill."
--Jason Fagone, author of The Woman Who Smashed Codes
" Wulfhart's lively labor history chronicles a recent past that can
feel simultaneously a million miles away and all too
contemporary."
--Rebecca Traister, author of Good and Mad
" Nell McShane Wulfhart reconstructs the long-lost Era of the
Stewardess: what she meant to the airlines, how she defined the
female ideal in America, and then how she broke the mold—and helped
change the world for everyone on the ground."
--Keith O'Brien, author of Fly Girls
"The Great Stewardess Rebellion should be required reading for
anyone entering the modern job market--to remind them how the
workplace used to be, and to honor the heroic people who stepped up
and made progress possible. A fascinating, important
read."
--Lisa Napoli, author of Susan, Linda, Nina & Cokie
“McShane Wulfhart’s engaging chronicle of the labor movement
launched by U.S. airline stewardesses who flew the not-so-friendly
skies in the 1960s and ’70s has an eye-opening anecdote on every
page; even the union negotiations are entertaining and informative.
. . [The Great Stewardess Rebellion] demonstrates how the
stewardesses’ labor fight affected the state of modern American
employment and helped enshrine many of the workplace rights women
have today. Recommended for readers of women’s history and
histories of the airline industry, and anyone looking for an
engaging and entertaining read.”
--Library Journal, (starred review)
“Engaging . . . Insightful . . . Compelling . . . Wulfhart explains
union wranglings, emerging legislation, and lengthy court battles
within context, exposing the era's expectations regarding women's
roles as sex objects, wives, and mothers in stark reality. This is
an eye-opening chapter in the history of feminism and women's
rights.”
--Booklist
“A rousing history. . . Wulfhart lucidly contextualizes the
stewardesses’ campaign within the larger feminist movement, and
shares striking anecdotes of the insults they endured and the
dedication it took to reform ‘the most sexist workplace in
America.’ The result is an invigorating and inspiring story of
women triumphing over discrimination.”
--Publishers Weekly
“Offer[s] insight into the sexism women faced in the early decades
of commercial flight, as seen through the eyes of the women who
lived it. . . With stylish flair, The Great Stewardess Rebellion
explores the nuances of these spirited women and the sexism they
battled.”
--BookPage
“Interweaves [personal stories] with a larger narrative of how
female flight attendants struggled to build long-term careers built
on benefits and good wages rather than the promise of glamour and
adventure. . . This engaging narrative offers a fascinating look at
how the intersection of the women’s and labor movements helped a
little-discussed, female-dominated profession achieve viability and
respect. An informatively readable combination of cultural and
feminist history.”
--Kirkus
"A gripping and exciting read...Wulfhart captures the urgency of
the flight attendant’s liberation with grace...This book is a
satisfying victory for anyone who has ever been put in a box and
has relished proving them all wrong."
--Bust
"Wulfhart follows a few key players in this fight...Their inspiring
tales of grit and guts illuminate a dark space in aviation."
--HistoryNet
"Vividly described...The Great Stewardess Rebellion is an exciting
read and provides a timely reminder of how far women have traveled
from the days of 'mad men' and advertisements that showcased
slogans such as: 'Fly Me. I’m Cheryl.'"
--New York Labor History Association
"Put aside any preconceived notions you might have about flight
attendants. Wulfhart's uniformed women battled the airlines' sexist
policies and lurid advertising, forging a feminist revolution along
the way."
--Paulina Bren, author of The Barbizon
"An entertaining page turner and a powerful story of personal and
political transformation."
--Lynn Povich, author of The Good Girls Revolt
"A riveting, tour de force story of women's fight for justice on
the job. Wulfhart tells an incredible story of workplace justice
and the women who made it.”
--Erik Loomis, author of A History of America in Ten Strikes
“An extraordinary herstory--I was in tears. A powerful story of
flight attendants at American Airlines refusing to allow men to
define them.”
--Sara Nelson, International President, Association of Flight
Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO
"Nell McShane Wulfhart brings us face to face with the atrocious
status quo that stewardesses fought to overturn. Wulfhart
chronicles the movement’s expansion in sparkling detail and
delivers uncommon insight into the personal dynamics of social
movements. Read this book!"
--Priscilla Murolo, co-author of From the Folks Who Brought You the
Weekend
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