Unmentionable History of the West

The Unmentionable History of the West is a fond romp through the underwear that men and women wore in days gone by. Think of corsets, navy blue bloomers, long underwear with its trap door and brassieres that could kill. Think also of the other unmentionables that came along with being sexual beings. Women had to hide their pregnancies, talk of birth control was illegal, seduction was a crime, prostitution likewise. There were so many silences, so many secrets about the private lives of men and women.

Then along came the 1960s and the social revolution known as the women's movement. Suddenly, underwear was out, girdles were gone and women began wearing pants. What came first then . . . the women's movement or pants? The removal of restrictive underwear or the force that was Gloria Steinem? The Unmentionable History of the West tackles these questions seriously, but with a good dose of humour.

Nancy Millar was born in northern Canada. Her writing has taken her from graveyards to weddings to outhouses and now underwear, but it's all history, she says, and she loves it. When she writes about Canadian history, you forget you're reading the stuff everyone hated in school - history. Instead, she tells stories of the people and how the world changed. Visit Nancy's website at www.nancymillar.com.