Description
Book SynopsisA provocative and compelling illustrated cultural history of the worldâs oldest profession that recovers the stories of those who sold sex for a living.
Trade Review'Lavishly illustrated … full of interesting nuggets' - Sunday Times
'The range of Lister’s scholarship is impressive ... a fascinating book about a subject too often swept under the rug. It’s also very beautiful, magnificently designed and packed with hundreds of superb photos ... packs a powerful bite' - The Times
'An engrossing exploration of individual lives and societies’ approaches to sex work across the centuries … [Lister] showcases incredible stories of agency and freedom while also recognising social stigmatisation and hardship' - Dr Fern Riddell, BBC History Magazine
'Engaging, readable and written with humour, compassion and sensitivity' - Catherine Curzon, All About History
'Fascinating' - Daily Mail
'A beautiful volume, magnificently designed and packed with superb photos – a coffee-table book that packs a powerful punch' - The Times, History Books of the Year 2021
Table of ContentsIntroduction, Tales from Gropecunt Lane
Chapter 1: In Service of the Gods, Sex in the Ancient World
Chapter 2: Toads and She-Wolves, Selling Sex in the Classical World
Chapter 3: The Geese that Laid the Golden Egg, Sex Work in Medieval London
Chapter 4: The Honest Courtesans, Selling Sex in Renaissance Europe
Chapter 5: The Pleasures of the Moon, The Floating World of Edo Japan
Chapter 6: Molly Houses and Mary-Anns, Men Selling Sex in Regency Britain
Chapter 7: Master of the Plum Blossoms, Sex in the Qing Dynasty
Chapter 8: The Great Social Evil, Prostitution in the 19th Century
Chapter 9: Soiled Doves and Jailbirds, Sex for Sale in the Land of the Free
Chapter 10: Maisons de Tolérance, Sex and the Belle Époque
Chapter 11: The Prophylactic Dictatorships, Sex in Wartime
Conclusion, The Fight Back
