“A fascinating and enjoyable investigation which, for all its focus on history, holds up a mirror to today’s realities, too. For all that we may try to persuade ourselves that progress has been achieved, we are still in thrall to the ceaseless and seductive pursuit of beauty.”

– The Financial Times

"[Nicholson's] wonderfully engaging investigation has a feminist quandary at its heart."

– Harper's Bazaar

“Marvelously readable. Nicholson gives us an unforgettably rich and varied tapestry of the development of female beauty anxiety. Her title is a clever double-entendre, suggesting both ‘the height of fashion’ and a lot of angry women. The subtitle’s key word, ‘frontline,’ implies the female body as a battleground, which indeed it was—and is.”

– The Daily Mail

"Nicholson's lively, intimate history of beauty wants us to take a more sympathetic view of the women who engage in the often-condemned and sometimes dangerous quest for gorgeousness. All the Rage sits you at the dressing table of history: a place of dreams, doubts, self-harm, and hopes. More interesting than a simple catalog of beauty's ills would have been. Here, beauty is sometimes an oppressive force, and sometimes a way for women to negotiate their way around other oppressive forces."

– The Times

"This is a fascinating book: funny, unexpected, forgiving, political, personal, glamorous, and yes, quietly, angry. Read it for the amazing stories; stay for the self-knowledge. Or the Revolution."

– Prospect Magazine

"Virginia Nicholson's history of modern women's dedication to their appearance is full of ironies. She is particularly good at how a body looks when styled according to the fashions and expectations of an era. A compelling account."

– Literary Review

"Bold in its scope, yet filled with intriguing details and thoughtful, original analysis."

– Justine Picardie

"Virginia Nicholson is one of the great social historians of our time. No one else makes history this fun."

– Amanda Foreman

Praise for Virginia Nicholson

"Fine intelligence and irresistible brio... How Was It For You? is a kaleidoscopic tribute to the generation that put the "F" into feminism. I ripped through it with gusto and delight."

– Tina Brown

"Intimate, immersive, often moving, How Was It For You? subtly but powerfully subverts complacent male assumptions about a legendary decade."

– David Kynaston, author of The City of London

"Sparkling. There is a wonderfully diverse range of voices. We have a long way to go, but reading this book made me grateful for how far we have come."

– Daisy Goodwin, The Sunday Times