Listen to a sample
Born
- Author
- Lucy Inglis
- Narrator
- Avita Jay
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Publish Date
- 28 August 2025
- Run Time
- 12 hours 3 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
Not available in your country
We don't have the rights to sell this audiobook where you are. If it's already in your library you can still listen to it in My Books.
What to expect
Women have been fighting for control over their bodies for thousands of years. From Neolithic hunter-gatherers to the reversal of Roe v. Wade, this is their story.
Acclaimed cultural historian Lucy Inglis takes the reader on an epic journey through the stories of women over hundreds of thousands of years. From ancient Mesopotamian birthing practices to the lost contraceptives of Ancient Rome and the strange story of the feminists who fought for the right to forget childbirth, this is a truly sweeping history that explores the competing ideologies and lived realities that have shaped so many lives.
Lucy Inglis charts the battle for control throughout history over reproduction, birth and women’s bodies - a fight still raging in many places across the world. With birth rates falling and infant mortality in many societies on the rise once more, this bold and timely book raises vital questions about how we think about motherhood and pregnancy today. Lucy Inglis has spent over a decade researching the history of childbirth, drawing on new and unseen sources from a wide-ranging array of disciplines.
Charting the powerful interests and dedicated scientists that have shaped women’s maternal experiences, this is a must-read for anyone who wishes to understand how we all came to be here.
Critics Review
-
Deeply researched, smart, poignant, and witty… By placing birth – rather than violence, language, or even taxes – as humanity’s constant, Inglis offers a compelling new view of both history and the present.
Karen Bloom Gevirtz, author of 'The Apothecary's Wife'
-
Moving from prehistory to the present, Lucy Inglis draws long overdue attention to the cultural history of childbirth. Born is a compelling read, considering subjects as diverse as caesareans, eugenics and religious theorising on birth, while taking readers on a journey through this most important of life events. Impeccably researched, Born is essential reading for anyone interested in the human condition.
Dr. Elizabeth Norton, author of ‘The Lives of Tudor Women’
-
A fascinating exploration of a long overlooked area of history. Shaped by meticulous research, Inglis writes with clarity, pace and a sharp eye for surprising details. She takes the reader on a tumultuous rollercoaster through time, and achieves that most difficult of things: bringing the strange lives of our ancestors vividly to life.
Alice Loxton, author of 'Eighteen' and 'Uproar!'
-
Inglis treats childbirth with the academic rigour and insightful compassion it deserves.
Leah Hazard, author of 'WOMB'
See more reviews See fewer reviews
-
[An] eloquent account from historian Inglis (Milk of Paradise). Childbirth, she argues, has always been fraught with danger, underscored by hope, and communal, with 'every successful birth...a small victory for humanity.' With birth stories from the author’s own family gracefully woven in, the result is a nuanced and tender look at an intimate yet universal human experience.
Publishers Weekly
-
compelling
The Independent
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Lucy Inglis
- Narrator
- Avita Jay
- Duration
- 12 hours 3 minutes
- Release Date
- 28 August 2025
- ISBN
- 9781399414401
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Genre
- General and world history, History of medicine, Social and cultural history, Gender studies: women and girls, Sex and sexuality, social aspects
Synopsis
Bloomsbury presents Born: The Untold History of Childbirth by Lucy Inglis, read by Avita Jay.Women have been fighting for control over their bodies for thousands of years. From Neolithic hunter-gatherers to the reversal of Roe v. Wade, this is their story.Acclaimed cultural historian Lucy Inglis takes the reader on an epic journey through the stories of women over hundreds of thousands of years. From ancient Mesopotamian birthing practices to the lost contraceptives of Ancient Rome and the strange story of the feminists who fought for the right to forget childbirth, this is a truly sweeping history that explores the competing ideologies and lived realities that have shaped so many lives.Lucy Inglis charts the battle for control throughout history over reproduction, birth and women’s bodies - a fight still raging in many places across the world. With birth rates falling and infant mortality in many societies on the rise once more, this bold and timely book raises vital questions about how we think about motherhood and pregnancy today. Lucy Inglis has spent over a decade researching the history of childbirth, drawing on new and unseen sources from a wide-ranging array of disciplines. Charting the powerful interests and dedicated scientists that have shaped women’s maternal experiences, this is a must-read for anyone who wishes to understand how we all came to be here.
About xigxag
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.