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Sex in history
First published 1980 · 512 pages
A sweeping, wryly observed journey through the bedrooms and belief systems of human history.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like attending a fascinating, slightly scandalous lecture by your favorite, most erudite history professor. The pace is steady and deliberate, guiding you through millennia of human behavior with a tone that is both rigorously scholarly and delightfully wry. It immerses you in an expansive, intellectually curious mood, peeling back the layers of religious dogma, societal control, and cultural evolution to reveal the surprisingly relatable humans underneath. The prose is accessible and sharp, never bogging down in academic jargon but always maintaining a sweeping, authoritative scope. It is a perfect fit for readers who love macro-histories and want to understand how our most private desires have been shaped by the grand, messy march of civilization.
- Mood
- intellectual
- curious
- expansive
- illuminating
- Tone
- wry
- scholarly
- accessible
- objective
- cheeky
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- evolution of social norms · religion and bodily control · universality of desire · historical relativity · human nature vs society
- The writing
- Clear, engaging, and peppered with dry wit, balancing academic breadth with popular readability.
- The arc
- Moves from a sense of vast, ancient mystery to a wry, enlightened understanding of how modern taboos were constructed.
- Who it's for
- Curious minds and history buffs who enjoy sweeping, macro-level social histories that explore the quirky, hidden corners of human behavior.
Content notes
- historical misogyny
- discussions of sexual violence
- religious oppression
- frank sexual content
About the book
In the year 4004 B.C., at precisely nine o'clock on the morning of October 23, "God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Description from Open Library.
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