A History of European Women's Work" draws together recent research, lively personal accounts and statistical evidence to take an overview of trends in women's work from the pre-industrial period to the present.

Deborah Simonton discusses the definition of work within and without patriarchal families, the status of work and the skills involved. She examines local as well as Europe-wide developments, contrasting countries such as Britain, Germany and France. She considers women's own perceptions of work and its place in their lives as well as age and class, to present a rounded account of the shifting patterns of employment and the continuities which are evident in the women's own experience.