287 pages Basic Books  (New York) Publication Date: January 1974 Hardcover ISBN: 0698202678

From Aristotle to the present, political behavior has been studied in terms of men. But today woman is emerging as an active political animal. And now a distinguished political analyst provides the first substantial portrait of Political Woman.

Making it in the political arena is a tough battle. Doubly so for a woman. Just who are the women who have broken through the traditional barriers to become successful politicians and legislators? What, if anything, do they have in common? How did they win elections--and have they paid a personal price for victory?

In this pathbreaking book--based on extensive research and in-depth interviews with a cross section of women career politicians from all over the nation--Jeane Kirkpatrick looks closely at both the handful of women who made it and the social taboos they wrestled with in their individual lives. Her first-hand inquiry into the struggles of today's political women reveals such vital facts as how they run their campaigns, how they cope with the prejudices of constituents and colleagues, and what impact their careers have made on their own home lives.

Political Woman is a major contribution to the reform of our political system--and eye-opening reading.

Jeane J. Kirkpatrick is a senior fellow at AEI.