This work investigates the origins, tactics, and personal sacrifices of the British suffragette movement led by the Women's Social and Political Union. Midge Mackenzie compiles a comprehensive historical record, utilizing primary source accounts and archival materials to document the struggle for women's voting rights. The text examines the transition from peaceful protest to militant activism, framing the movement within the broader context of early 20th-century British political reform.

Historians and researchers frequently cite this work as a foundational visual and textual archive of the British suffragette movement. Readers often note the intensity of the primary source accounts, which provide a visceral look at the conditions within Holloway Prison and the political climate of the era.