Already known for her scholarly writings on women's and gender history, Dyhouse (Girl Trouble) takes on a tone of broader appeal with this cultural history of male figures of female desire. What can we learn, she asks, from examining the variety of men whom women have swooned for over the years? Fairy-tale princes Rudolph Valentino and Marlon Brando, the Beatles and their modern-day boy band counterparts, and the myriad heroes of romance novels all come under the lens for examination. Thankfully, the text provides more than enough analysis to lift it above being a laundry list of daydream icons. Dyhouse sets these figures alongside a sharp examination of female desire and fantasy. She then explores how such fantasies are shaped by the impact of larger factors and pressures in women's lives, and how shifts in societal trends throughout history have caused the idealized masculine figure to change—or, in some cases, to remain the same. VERDICT A smart and sensitive look at its topic, this book provides thoughtful commentary on the driving forces behind women's imaginations and an intriguing if selective look at classic romantic figures.—Kathleen McCallister, Tulane Univ., New Orleans