| The Woman with the Whip | |
| Author: | Mary Main |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Genre: | Biography |
| Publisher: | Corgi Publishing |
| Pub Date: | 1952 |
| Media Type: | |
| Isbn: | 0552106453 |
The Woman with the Whip is a 1952 biography of political leader and cultural icon Eva Perón, written by Argentinian author Mary Main. First published in England and the United States shortly after Eva Perón's death, it presents her in a highly critical light, and is often dismissed by Perón supporters as lacking in historical value. However, the book was extremely popular, and remains highly regarded by academics as a valuable work of journalism.[1] The Woman with the whip served as source for Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Evita.[2]
This book was at first not published in Argentina, because Juan Perón, Eva Perón's husband, was head of state at the time. During his regime, freedom of speech was suppressed and critics were often jailed. The author, Mary Main, used the pseudonym "María Flores" in the initial publication. The book was published with Mary Main's true name only after Perón's death in 1974.
Mary Main was born in Argentina and moved to the United States in 1941. She returned to Buenos Aires to write The Woman with the Whip. She conducted her research and interviews covertly, citing strong government repression and fear for her life.
Marysa Navarro, another of Eva's biographers and author of Evita, is critical of Mary Main's book, claiming that she ignored the political, social, and economic background of the period.[3]