I was interested in the subject matter however I found it difficult to read this book. There is a lot of repetition and the author does not support her thesis. The author has done a lot of research and there is a lot of good information presented it is however presented in a very dry scholarly way. As women began to demand more social equality they turned to sports and self defense to help them. Each chapter tackles different aspects such as boxing, Jiu-Jitsu, Suffrage, and Domestic Abuse. Anyone with an interest in Women's History will enjoy this book.

As a woman, I can't imagine NOT knowing at least the basics of self-defense. Learning the history behind what led us to today's world where the norm is no longer women who are unable to physically defend themselves is absolutely fascinating. A great read.

Wendy Rouse has obviously a deep understanding and appreciation for the shoulders we all stand upon; the unsung heroes of the US Suffrage movement. But even more obscure history of women in the "arts", the martial arts that is.

Fascinating that a portal to having jiu jitsu in particular made available to women was the degradation of the Japanese Martial Art as "feminine" and "unmanly" due to white male xenophobia. Wow

This is well researched and written. I had no idea about a vast majority of the subjects Rouse presented. Of particular personal interest was th chapter on self defense during women's sufferage. I will be adding to this to my personal library upon its publication.

Wendy Rouse’s Her Own Hero goes deep into the Progressive Era and describes how industrialization, racism, xenophobia, and a fear of the decline of the Anglo race led to a promotion of physical culture and a sort of hypermasculinity. At the same time, upper- and middle-class white women were moving into the public sphere and wanted in on physical culture too, and had ways of justifying their participation in “manly arts” such as boxing and self-defense both by appealing to the rules of respectable femininity (“It cures hysteria!”) and circumventing gender norms entirely.

Rouse makes clear that racism was a significant component in shaping women’s participation in martial arts and boxing. From the fear of Anglo population decline to Yellow Peril to the differences in how black women and white women were treated/harassed in the public sphere, racial politics often played a part in whether or not women would get to participate in martial arts and even what type of martial arts they could learn. However, at least for white women, physical empowerment led to more opportunities to be visible in the public sphere, which eventually translated to political empowerment and the right to vote.

Now that we live in a world where athletes like Serena Williams and Ronda Rousey and Mia Hamm are household names and women’s self-defense courses can be found at even the tiniest of suburbs, it almost seems quaint that women were once discouraged from physical activity. But though this book focuses on the Progressive era, so many of the attitudes about femininity and fears of racial “others” are still prevalent even in 2017. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

This is a thoroughly researched academic book, well-suited for people who really want to dig deep into the history of women’s participation in combat sports. It also offers a really fascinating look at how gender norms are influenced by race, and how these old narratives about women in sports still linger today.

This is an interesting nonfiction book on the history of the women's self-defense movement in the US. Reading about how and why women decided to become their own protectors was fascinating, giving me a better idea of the women's suffrage movement of the time and women's life experience in general. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking to learning more about women's life during the era in general, and the women's movement in particular.

I'm glad I received this so close to International Women's Day, even if the topic is about women having to protect themselves! As the title says, women are their own heroes.
An important and well done read.