A bird, but not a plane

The Secret History of Wonder Woman. By Jill Lepore. Knopf; 448 pages; $29.95. Scribe; 20. Buy from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.ukWONDER WOMAN appeared just as America entered the second world war in December 1941. With her skimpy, star-spangled shorts, red bustier, tiara and kinky, knee-high boots, she was an instant hit. Of the thousands of comic-book characters created in the 1940s only Superman and Batman were more popular. Although her star has since waned, Wonder Woman has never ceased solving crimes and triumphing over baddies.Now, thanks to a new book by Jill Lepore, her secrets and, more intriguingly, those of her creators, are out'and quite unexpected. 'The Secret History of Wonder Woman' is not just her history, but a story of feminism and birth control, with a Bohemian mnage--trois at its heart.Ms Lepore is a Harvard historian and journalist. In 2011 she wrote...Continue reading
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