A Gay History of Britain : Love and Sex Between Men Since the Middle Ages

"A Gay History of Britain", the new standard history of love and desire between men in Britain, is a landmark achievement.

Covering nearly a thousand years from the Norman Conquest to the internet age, it is a history rich in personalities, not only public figures like Richard the Lionheart or Derek Jarman, but also little-known individuals such as 'Eleanor', a cross-dresser in Chaucer's England, and Mark Partridge, branded a 'mollying bitch' in eighteenth-century London. "A Gay History of Britain" tells their stories against a shifting historical background of changing laws, fluctuations of popular prejudice, and unexpectedly influential events, such as the coming of the railways.

Drawing on a fabulous wealth of research, the authors - each an expert in his field - have worked closely together to deliver a constantly absorbing, highly-readable narrative.

Broad in its coverage but nuanced in its detail - including never-before-seen illustrations - it is a compelling and eye-opening exploration of the many different ways in which British men have expressed their love and desire for one another.