News

Published on: 01/11/26 3:23 PM

New edition of Cross-dressed to Kill!

‘Cross-dressed to Kill’ is a book featuring a unique collection of extraordinary stories by twenty women cross-dressers of English, Irish, French, Prussian, Russian, Spanish, American and Israeli nationalities. There were literally hundreds of known women cross-dressers in Britain across Europe and in the Americas yet they have been erased from both social and military history. The bravery of these women masquerading as men and the risks they took were great. The penalty for cross-dressing in this period was harsh, including the death penalty because it was seen as an unnatural act that threatened society and offended social morality. The talk answers all the questions of why young women dressed as men to fight as soldiers in the 17th to 20th centuries? I tell some of the fascinating women’s stories: fearless, ‘tomboys’, early feminists and decidedly full of what was called ‘pluck and spunk’. For them ‘patriotism had no sex’, determined to fight for their country. What did society think of them? Why was cross-dressing illegal and punishable by death? Were some lesbian or transsexual- as we debate gender today? What happened to them after they were discovered, their sex revealed while dying on the battlefield or wounded? Answers to these questions and how, unafraid to kill, their bravery was rewarded by the army and royalty. Medals, money and fame came. Their legacy? Some are hailed as the first female sailors and soldiers like Deborah Sampson and Lucy Brewer. As the late author Hilary Mantel wrote ’ their story is our story’, to be included in the re-telling past events.

Published on: 11/24/25 2:27 PM

Sergeant Friederike Krüger is honoured by a barracks named after her in Germany

History moves on- with the news that one of the cross-dressing women I write about in my book- Sergeant Friederike Krüger- has just had an army barracks in Munster, Lower…

Published on: 11/22/25 8:24 PM

Talks on ‘Dollar Princesses’- trade for titles, a 19th century phenomenon

Just given two talks on my new talk about the Dollar Princesses, in what is known as a trade for titles. It was a 19th century phenomenon covering 20 years…

Published on: 08/29/25 10:11 AM

Travel Writing course begins again

Exciting to be teaching my Travel Writing course again this October. Why? Because it is at a time when many are questioning mass tourism and its affect on cities and…

Published on: 06/20/25 3:01 PM

‘Hidden in Plain sight’ women’s history

Really good talk at Chichester and the newly-formed Chichester Women's History Network group. We had some 80 people attending. Key to my talk was the focus on the value and…

Published on: 11/11/24 4:12 PM

Shoreham U3a talk

Guest at the Shoreham Centre on the Sussex coast where again a large audience of around 100 interested people! came to listen to my talk.

Published on: 11/11/24 3:46 PM

Book talk at Emsworth Museum

Great audience at the Emsworth Museum talk, in the Community Centre. As the Museum's Director said' Didn't know so many people were interested in cross-dressing!'

Published on: 08/24/24 3:36 PM

Do you love writing about your travels- where you’ve been,seen and done?

Join my new Improve your Travel Writing Skills course. I'm really excited about this new course as it looks at what you can do to improve your travel writing skills.…

Published on: 04/11/24 9:33 AM

Teaching -Improving Writing skills course

Just completed the first of my teaching on Improving Writing Skills. It was the most rewarding group of women who were really keen on writing and improving their skills- at…

Published on: 03/20/24 6:09 PM

Book talk at Battersea WI

Had a warm welcome at the Battersea WI's meeting last night to talk about my book Cross-dressed to Kill. They were interested in the stories of the women soldiers and…

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• …
• 7
• »