Searching for the Amazons: The Real Warrior Women of the Ancient World

In this work, inspired by the superhero Wonder Woman, historian and travel writer Man (Saladin) delves into the rich historical foundations undergirding the myth of the Amazons. The result is a quirky if uneven book. Man wonders, “What on earth was so appealing about the Amazons that Greeks should have been obsessed by them?” Why has that obsession endured to this day? To answer, Man explores fashion, symbolism, and the factual history of the Amazons. In the first part of the book, he recounts archeological excavations with the zeal of a field researcher, discussing the discovery of remains of warrior women from Scythia in the late 19th century and other significant finds that followed in the 20th century. Man then shows how the Amazon myth seeped into the art, literature, and popular culture of the Greeks and subsequent Western societies over hundreds of years. The chapters on female warriors in West Africa and female Soviet pilots in WWII are presented as examples of Amazonian symbolism, though exactly how they fit isn’t explained. After a brief history of Wonder Woman, Man concludes with an account of an online search for modern Amazons, discovering the revolutionary Kurdish Women’s Defense Units in Rojava, Syria. Man’s breezy style is engaging, but it’s no substitute for a deeper engagement with the subject. Illus. [em](Feb.) [/em]

Correction: A previous version of this review listed an incomplete title for the book.