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The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule

How Men Came to Rule

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The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule

By: Angela Saini
Narrated by: Sohm Kapila
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About this listen

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
Gender Studies Politics & Government Social Sciences Women Thought-Provoking

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Critic reviews

‘This is an impressive, breathtaking and thought-provoking book which unwraps the concept and history of patriarchy with clear intellectual precision’ Financial Times

‘An urgent and necessary wake-up call of a book, teeming with research without being taut . . . The Patriarchs is a hopeful, essential read, not just for feminists, but for anyone with a stake in existence’ Irish Times

‘I learned something new on every page of this totally essential book. And for such a serious topic, I was surprised to be greatly entertained too. Angela is the best possible guide’ Sathnam Sanghera, author of Empireland

The Patriarchs is an optimistic book, therefore. Not least, it shows that more equal societies are possible and do thrive – historically, now and everywhere. Seeing things from other cultural perspectives really does reveal the way we live in a very different light’ Guardian

‘A rigorous and illuminating read’ inews

‘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’ Janina Ramirez, author of Femina

‘Bold, incisive, and beautifully told, The Patriarchs is a truly riveting investigation into the origins and consequences of structural power. The depth and originality of Angela Saini’s thought and research is breath-taking, and world-changing. A phenomenally important and deeply enjoyable book’ Elinor Cleghorn, author of Unwell Women

‘Saini brings sparkling intelligence to this debate. She is brilliant at ferreting out intriguing nuggets of information and synthesising them into a big but not over-simplified picture . . . How stirring it is to read such an optimistic view of our past and of our future’ Observer

All stars
Most relevant
Full of extraordinarily interesting and broad info on areas you wouldn't expect. Why wasn't there as much housework for anyone in the USSR? What societies have been matrilineal and which ones still are?
Even if you don't call yourself a feminist, read this to try to understand why so many societies have tried to limit the lives of women, the author doesn't find all the answers, but she moves us closer to them.
And it's a hopeful book, for all the tragedy delineated. Patriarchy isn't some monolith it turns out, it's certainly not Universal or Natural, but a recurring fault in societies for which a solution can be found. Read this and keep learning 🙂

Really excellent and well researched

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Extraordinary writing and commentary, rigorous research. Excellent narration. I want to listen to the whole book all over again.

Extraordinary

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This is the third Saini book I read (listened). In superior and inferior I sometimes could feel “bumps” in logic and flow. But everything clicks in this book. Insightful analysis of the origin of all kind of inequality. When mankind distinguishes “us VS them” I don’t see a way out of this dilemma.

Brilliant

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I loved the performance and found the content thoroughly researched and engaging. I would listen/read other works from the author

lots of food for thought!

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Listening to this has altered the way I think about our political and cultural systems. Lots of really good quotes from other people in this area of study, archaeologists, anthropologists, journalists and those oppressed or liberated by the systems she reviews.

Profound and rigorous

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