The past quarter-century has seen a number of biographies and anthologies on women travelers but to date there has been little comprehensive reference work done on the travellers themselves. Some of the women were eccentric, many very adventurous, some were in search of a different world. British women make up the largest portion of the book's focus--these particular adventurers being backed in many cases by family money, scientific inquiry, and the ready availability of the British seafaring tradition. Entries feature biographical information including the woman's family background, her educational history, and a brief summary of her world travels, with in many cases evocative extracts from their writings (many are literary gems).

The history of women opera is a grand story. Singers and patrons, of course, but also women were composers and librettists from opera's beginnings in Renaissance Italy. At first it was exclusively for the nobility. In the 19th century, with the emergence of the middle class and the rise of nationalism, there were more public theaters and opera seemed to be everywhere. This meant more opportunities for composers, though men predominated. This book focuses on the women, from the 16th century to today, who have had successful careers in opera, many of them well known in their time.