Some Men In London: Queer Life, 1960-1967
Peter Parker author Peter Parker editor
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Penguin Books Ltd
Published:26th Sep '24
Should be back in stock very soon
'Quite simply, this book is a work of genius' Matthew Parris, Spectator
The second in a major two-part anthology uncovering the rich reality of life for queer men in London, from the end of the Second World War to decriminalization in 1967
In the 1940s, it was believed that homosexuality had been becoming more widespread in the aftermath of war. A moral panic ensued, centred around London as the place to which gay men gravitated.
Peter Parker's fascinating new compendium explores what it was actually like for queer men in London in this period, whether they were well-known figures such as Francis Bacon, Joe Orton and Kenneth Williams, or living lives of quiet – or occasionally rowdy – anonymity in pubs, clubs, more public places of assignation, or at home. It is rich with letters, diaries, psychological textbooks, novels, films, plays and police records, covering a wide range of viewpoints, from those who deplored homosexuality to those who campaigned for its decriminalization.
This second volume, from 1960 to 1967, shows how key elements in British society gradually changed their views on homosexuality, resulting in the landmark 1967 act by which it was no longer considered a crime if it took place between adults in private. This did not end violence, discrimination and prejudice, but it at least curbed official persecution. Some Men in London is a testament to queer life and its thriving, joyous subculture – a subculture without which the 1960s would have been immeasurably impoverished.
[A] comprehensive two-volume anthology [...] Peter Parker, distinguished author of several related biographies and historical studies, has assembled a remarkable range of materials covering all aspects of this phenomenon, spanning VE Day and the passing of the Sexual Offences Act in 1967 [...] Parker adds drily witty commentary throughout -- Rupert Christiansen * The Telegraph *
Extraordinary… fascinating * Alan Hollinghurst *
- - Praise for Volume One -- -
Quite simply, this book is a work of genius -- Matthew Parris * The Spectator *
These beautifully written letters, diary entries and extracts from novels, skilfully edited by Peter Parker, add up to an essential study of postwar gay London life… Some Men in London's second volume, which takes us up to 1967, will be published in September. I'll be counting the days - this is one of the best anthologies I have ever read -- John Self * The Observer *
With it’s wide-ranging selection, generous biographical notes and provocative bibliography, Some Men in London is a serious and important contribution to our understanding of Britain up to today -- Fiona Sampson * The Tablet *
An intriguing collage of the era’s mood -- Robbie Millen * The Times *
An absolutely extraordinary book … a huge collage and anthology of diaries, letters, memoirs, newspaper reports, trial documents, all of this, about actually what life was like for homosexual men in London in the 1940s and the 1950s… It’s amazing, because the collage effect gives you a sense of the extreme complexity of this picture * Dominic Sandbrook *
As lively as a novel... a truly vital thing in a world where so many stories have been erased or criminalised * Damien Barr *
ISBN: 9780241683705
Dimensions: 240mm x 162mm x 34mm
Weight: 635g
416 pages