A Lesbian History of Britain

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A Lesbian History of Britain Love and Sex Between Women Since 1500

Rebecca Jennings

Book Code: GWP007

ISBN: 1-84645-007-1

ISBN-13: 978-1-84645-007-5

DOI:

Greenwood World Publishing

Publication: 11/15/2007

UK Publication: 22/11/2007

List Price: $49.95 (UK Sterling Price: £18.95)

Availability: In Stock

Media Type: Hardcover

Trim Size: 6 x 9

Subjects:

Reviews:

For the reader wishing to explore some of the lush concoction of types of lesbian sexualities that have proliferated over the past 500 years, [the book] is successful and readable, particularly for non-specialist readers wanting a coherent, well-written introduction to the field. A Lesbian History of Britain would be of vital interest to students and could stimulate them to seek out more specialist scholarship. For that reason...I would highly recommend it, particularly for university and local libraries.
—Times Higher Education Supplement March 27, 2008
The myths of lesbian life are many. From the legend of Queen Victoria's view that it didn't exist, to the stereotype of the hairy-legged, man-hating butch, they are also at the extremes. Rebecca Jennings's serious and sensible book rejects the crude and salacious versions, but she also explains and counteracts the silences. For those familiar with queer history there will be little that is new here. But in recent years a great deal of scholarly work has been devoted to seeking out the traces of lesbian existence and tracking the varied manifestations that marked out different historical and cultural contexts. Jennings succeeds in synthesising all of this and in making clear the complicated interaction between what may, or may not have happened "then" and the political motives (or wishful thinking) of historians writing from the perspective of "now".
—Margaret Reynolds, The Guardian December 15, 2007

Description: Drawing on a wide range of historical sources - court records, newspaper reports, medical records, novels, oral histories and personal papers - A Lesbian History of Britain presents the extraordinary history of lesbian experience in Britain. Covering landmark moments and well-known personalities (such as Radclyffe Hall and the publication and banning of her lesbian novel The Well of Loneliness), but also examining the lives and experiences of ordinary women, it brings both variety and nuance to their shared history. In doing so, it also explores cultural representations of, and changing attitudes to, female same-sex desire in Britain. The narrative is arranged chronologically and begins with the accounts of a number of women in the 18th century who passed themselves off as men. The C18th & C19th saw 'Romantic Friendships' between women and, later, the emergence of a science of sexuality, and the concept of the female 'sexual invert''. At the same time, 'New Women' were pursuing independent careers, a self-confidence reflected in the publication of a number of novels explicitly about lesbian experience. The 20s and 30s were characterised by parliamentary debates on lesbianism, court cases and scandals, though, with two world wars, lesbian experiences were already changing, and a newly vibrant lesbian 'scene', centred on bars and night-clubs, was emerging, supported by a growing number of lesbian-oriented magazines and societies. The contemporary period has been marked by political movements and campaigns, in which lesbians have been active, and increasingly vocal debates surrounding the 'sex wars'.

PDF Catalogs:
Greenwood History Spring 2008.pdf	Academic Library Fall 2008.pdf


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