Hannah Snell:

Hannah Snell:

The Secret Life of a Female Marine, 1723-1792

By Matthew Stephens

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"One of the most exotic and mysterious legends of military history has finally been verified . . . Matthew Stephens has shed fresh light on the lurid accounts of Snell's life in the Royal Marines and the British Army."
*The Sunday Times*

About the Book:

This ground-breaking study uncovers the remarkable life of the eighteenth-century female soldier, Hannah Snell. Generations of readers have been entertained by the story of the woman who dressed as a man, joined the Royal Marines, travelled to India and fought at the battle of Pondicherry. She returned to England in 1750 and made the most of her amazing story. She was the subject of a best-selling biography, as well as street portraits and ballads, and embarked on a sensational stage career. By the time of her death in 1792, her place as the most famous English female soldier had been established and remains unrivalled.

Some years ago I made contact with Hannah's fifth-generation grand-daughter, Jean Ryles. Amazingly, Jean had been completely unaware of her relationship to Hannah and was very excited by my news. United by a common interest in the story, we agreed to combine our resources to retrace the twists and turns of this fascinating life. There was no shortage of material for us to dissect, as Hannah's biographer, Robert Walker, had left us with a detailed catalogue of the events in Hannah's life. He lists names and dates with such regularity that one almost feels that he is daring us to challenge his integrity.

Over the years a number of commentators have questioned the veracity of the Snell tale and I have also found many of the details difficult to believe. As we began digging into Hannah's past, we soon discovered anomalies between the biography and other primary source documents. Yet for every new fact that undermined Walker's narrative, there was another that supported it. The most important question raised by this contradictory evidence was, "Did Hannah Snell really dress as a man or was it a story she concocted purely for profit"?

From the moment Hannah revealed her secret, authors and journalists have written their version of this extraordinary woman's story. While some have accused Hannah of being a charlatan, others have believed her every word. After many years of research, I have written a very different account of Hannah's life - one in which I have looked behind the myths and revealed an intriguing tale of bravery and deceit in which the truth is often stranger than fiction.

Media Mentions:

"This book is thoroughly recommended as a good read, as a social history and as a fine example of meticulously documented research."

The Family Tree Magazine

"One of the most exotic and mysterious legends of military history has finally been verified . . . Matthew Stephens has shed fresh light on the lurid accounts of Snell's life in the Royal Marines and the British Army."

The Sunday Times

"The true story of Worcester-born Hannah Snell has to be one of the most incredible of all time."

Worcester Evening News

"Until now, military historians have been sceptical about accounts of her life, dismissing them as, at best, vastly exaggerated and, at worst, largely fictional. However, a new book by Australian author Matthew Stephens details the tragic but ultimately exhilarating tale of Snell's life in the British Army and the Royal Marines."

The Daily Mail

How to Order:

Copies are available through all good bookstores or by direct mail. Any enquiries to Ship Street Press (UK) are also most welcome (Tel: 1323 643525).

Australia

Copies are available by direct mail (A$11.95 including postage and packing within Australia).

US, Europe and the Rest of the World

Copies are available by direct mail or through the Royal Marines Museum.

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