Review of 'Sexual History of London' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Ultimately a strong work, though the historical errors in the first chapter made me suspicious of the factual accuracy for the rest of it. I strongly suspect that a great deal of the wild tales this book retells are better labeled as 'apocryphal' and 'alleged'. I was also a bit bothered-- or maybe confused-- by the continued habit of calling prostitutes 'whores' when it wasn't strictly necessary-- for example, in the actual prose written by the author and no one else. However, all of these things are a risk I knowingly took with this book, and all popular history books that attempt to make any sense out of sex and sexuality. Overall an entertaining read, and that's really all I wanted.
In particular, what saves this book from a lower rating are the chapters on the Restoration period, which are fascinating and full of life. That, and the unremitting effort …
Ultimately a strong work, though the historical errors in the first chapter made me suspicious of the factual accuracy for the rest of it. I strongly suspect that a great deal of the wild tales this book retells are better labeled as 'apocryphal' and 'alleged'. I was also a bit bothered-- or maybe confused-- by the continued habit of calling prostitutes 'whores' when it wasn't strictly necessary-- for example, in the actual prose written by the author and no one else. However, all of these things are a risk I knowingly took with this book, and all popular history books that attempt to make any sense out of sex and sexuality. Overall an entertaining read, and that's really all I wanted.
In particular, what saves this book from a lower rating are the chapters on the Restoration period, which are fascinating and full of life. That, and the unremitting effort on the part of the author to take a pro-woman stance, never doubting the prostitutes or their stories and always taking their side when applicable. We need more books like this, even if the writing is a little thin in other places.