Chesler (An American Bride in Kabul, 2013) is an outspoken veteran of second-wave feminism (1967–72), and her memoir is an unsentimental look at the pioneers of one of the most important political movements of the twentieth century. As she observes, she has “been close to most of our feminist visionaries and icons. . . . Our feminist pioneers were only mortal; they were as flawed as anyone else—save in their work, which was both extraordinary and overinflated.” They’re all here—Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, Kate Millett, Andrea Dworkin, Letty Cottin Pogrebin, Jill Johnston, and Robin Morgan—along with their clashing egos, competing agendas, and conflicting personalities. In discussing one of the movement’s most well-known figures, she observes: “What can I say about Gloria? Only this: My generation of feminists needed Susan B. Anthony but we got Mary Tyler Moore. We needed Harriet Tubman but we got Jane Fonda.” Chesler’s thoughtful and bracing reflections bring to life a remarkable group of women and a pivotal moment in U.S. history. An essential selection for American-history and women’s-studies collections.