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pocketvolcano's review
5.0
Although there is still more research that needs to be done, Louis Crompton has done a brilliant job of taking what records there are from ancient Greece and Rome all the way to the 1800s when executions for the so-called crime of sodomy were effectively ended, and putting them in one book for the layman. It's a remarkable contrast how civilizations such as ancient Greece and Rome, as well as China and Japan - civilizations that came before the spread of Christianity or were so isolated until late into the modern age as to be unaffected by Christianity - developed their views on homosexuality as compared to the "Christendom" of Europe. Although Christianity's message of the Gospels at their core is a message of love of God and of humanity, there's no denying that people have used the Judaic law as well as Paul's message to the Romans to do horrible harm to "sodomites". I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to study the history of homosexuals and homosexuality in civilizations. It's a valuable resource and I can only hope more research is done to fill in the gaps, and also that more historians will be willing to look at the historical figures such as William III of England and Frederick the Great of Prussia and be frank about the fact they were homosexuals. The fact of the matter is it's no shame to be attracted to members of the same sex. It shouldn't be. Not anymore. More books like this please.
jesthemess's review
challenging
dark
informative
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Murder, Torture, Misogyny, War, Fire/Fire injury, and Pedophilia
Minor: Child death
quinnyquinnquinn's review
4.0
very dense and detailed but super informative and meticulous, definitely not light reading
I didn't necessarily enjoy reading this but it did what it set out to do, it's a very good repository of knowledge and sources and a good jumping off point for research with lots of references to important primary sources
pretty eurocentric (which is semi-forgivable since the author is drawing from written works and records he can access directly or through translations) but there are good chapters on China and Japan
I didn't necessarily enjoy reading this but it did what it set out to do, it's a very good repository of knowledge and sources and a good jumping off point for research with lots of references to important primary sources
pretty eurocentric (which is semi-forgivable since the author is drawing from written works and records he can access directly or through translations) but there are good chapters on China and Japan
spacestationtrustfund's review
3.0
While there are a scattered handful of historical inaccuracies, this book is overall an excellent (and exhaustive) primer on, well, homosexuality throughout history.
brynhammond's review against another edition
5.0
The most exhaustive history out, and I think excellent.
If you're upset by hideous tortures, beware: the tale gets bloody in Inquisition times.
If you're upset by hideous tortures, beware: the tale gets bloody in Inquisition times.
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