Some Men In London Queer Life 19601967 by Peter Parker Hardback Book 9780241683705

A TIMES AND SUNDAY TIMES HISTORY BOOK OF THE YEAR Quite simply this book is a work of genius Matthew Parris SpectatorThe second in a major twopart anthology uncovering the rich reality of life for queer men in London from the end of the Second World War to decriminalization in 1967In 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 Parkers fascinating new compendium explores what it was actually like for queer men in London in this period whether they were wellknown 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...