In her classic meditation On Boxing, Joyce Carol Oates wrote, 'Boxing is for men, and it is about men. A celebration of the lost religion of masculinity all the more trenchant for being lost.' Smith (herself an amateur boxer) challenges that idea in this study of the long, sometimes all but invisible, history of women in the ring. As early as 1722, when Elizabeth Wilkinson challenged Hannah Hayfield to meet her 'on the Stage' and battle for three guineas, women have expressed a desire to fight for money, honor, championships, or physical satisfaction. As much as anything, Smith claims, women entered the ring as an expression of their desire and right to shape their identities. Since Wilkinson’s challenge, women, for the most part, have been denied full expression of that desire; their participation in boxing has had something of a sideshow quality. But in recent decades, women have won that right and fought with distinction (as the appearance of professional boxer Christy Martin on the cover of Sports Illustrated and Claressa Shields’s gold medal in the middleweight division in the 2012 Olympics demonstrate). . . .Summing Up: Recommended. All readers.

Choice Reviews

Blogger (Girlboxing) and amateur boxer Smith traces the sport as far back as early 18th-century England, unearthing sources documenting matches involving women with such intimidating nicknames as 'Bruising Peg.' Serious women boxers have long had to counter the taint of risqueness in their sport; as one might expect, the growth of women’s boxing has not been a steady climb but has waxed and waned as public attitudes have changed. A surge in popularity in the 1990s led to the sport’s inclusion in the 2012 Summer Olympics. Smith enlivens her scholarly treatment with colorful anecdotes (the death threats once sent to women boxers), strange facts (U.S. jurisdictions forced fighters to wear aluminum bras), and lots of examples of press coverage illuminating societal attitudes toward female fisticuffs. Some 20 well-chosen photographs spotlight the sport’s past and present. The thorough bibliography should satisfy the most curious student. VERDICT A comprehensive, entertaining work for readers interested in women’s history or sports history.

Library Journal

While today’s female boxers benefit from organized training, professional management, media exposure, and societal acceptance, history shows that it has not been an easy climb. Smith meticulously documents the journey of female pugilists from their beginnings in London in the early eighteenth century to their first inclusion in the Olympics in 2012. Casual fans may recognize such contemporaries as Christi Morgan and Laila Ali, but the fighters who really light up this account are such now-forgotten figures as Texas Mamie, Barbara ('The Mighty Atom of the Ring') Buttrick, and Cathy 'Cat' Davis. Smith weaves together excerpts from firsthand accounts of memorable bouts with social history to provide a complete picture of the struggles and sacrifices these women and many others, such as female promoters and managers, faced in order to legitimize the sport they loved. This is a thoughtful and inclusive account of the evolution of women’s boxing and will make a strong addition to most sports collections.

Booklist

[W]hen it comes to the Sweeter Science, this 346-page tome is the Bible, one that was sorely needed when it comes to this often neglected area of boxing. . . .The detail Smith provides is impressive. . . .It's fascinating stuff, meticulously researched, and provides a rich history – in and out of the ring – not just for fans but for the ladies who ply their trade in the sport and now have a book they can present to family and friends and say, 'This is who I am and where I come from.'

The Ring

[A History of Women's Boxing] will change the way you think about women’s boxing. . . .The book is the colorful account of a subculture. . . .fans not only got a taste of what’s possible, but what’s always been here.

The Record

This book proves that hitting like a girl is no insult — it's a time-honored position.

Brooklyn Heights Courier