Book excerpt: Hitherto only a small proportion of the research on private education has been on the schooling of girls. Debate on the subject, while often heated, even prejudiced, proceeds largely in ignorance of the historical development of private schooling, the currently changing nature of private schooling, and the wide diversity of provision of private schooling. This collection of previously unpublished essays presents important new research on the history and development of girls' private schools, their present role and the experience of privately educated girls. Taken together, the findings are both enlightening and likely to stimulate further exploration of this surprisingly under-researched area.