Homosexuality in History

by Colin Spencer

Traces the diverse roles of homosexuality in society from a historical perspective, arguing that, for centuries, homosexual relations were accepted as normal, until the rise of Christianity. 25,000 first printing.

Genres: History, Gay, Nonfiction, LGBT, Queer, Historical

Hardcover

First published June 3, 1996

About the author

Author biography:

Colin Spencer was born in London in 1933 and attended Brighton Grammar School and Brighton Art College. From an early age, he was interested in both art and writing and had his first stories published in The London Magazine and Encounter when he was 22.

Spencer’s first novel, An Absurd Affair, was published in 1961, but it was with his second, Anarchists in Love (1963), the first in the four-volume Generation sequence, that he began to garner widespread critical acclaim. Seven more novels followed between 1966 and 1978, including Poppy, Mandragora and the New Sex (1966), Asylum (1966), and Panic (1971), books that one critic has said ‘revel in the eccentric, the bizarre, and the grotesque’.

A man of many talents, Spencer is also a prolific author of non-fiction books, including gay-interest titles like Homosexuality: A History (1995) and The Gay Kama Sutra (1997) and acclaimed works on food and cooking which led Germaine Greer to call him ‘the greatest living food writer’.

More recently, Spencer has devoted himself to painting and to writing a trilogy of autobiographical works, the first of which, the memoir Backing into Light: My Father’s Son, was published by Quartet in 2013. He lives in East Sussex.

Reviews

[David Corvine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where the author adheres to the remit of the title this book is excellent. It goes somewhat astray when he indulges in theorizing, his Marxist based gender politics are simply incorrect. Capitalism doesn't create homophobia, Romantic love wasn't pivotal in establishing the demand for consumer goods and camp effeminate men are not adopting this way of expression as a defence strategy etc , etc. Apart from these self-indulgences this history provides a valuable sense of historical and cross cultural perpectivism... much needed in the current climate.

[Michael Kowalchuk · Rating 2 out of 5]

While ambitious and global in scope, the book was at times overly reliant on anecdotes and the author did not make good use of his own Marxish worldview. Apart from some disturbingly dated understandings of age and gender identity, the book was a useful guide in that it assigned equal value to every major global epoch, driving the point home that same-sex attraction, love and eroticism have always existed and always will, in some form or another. It was particularly interesting to learn about the early Christian church's permissiveness and rather lax treatment of "sexual indiscretion" across the board, which included a wide range of what we consider mainstream heterosexual practices.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazingly researched, full of history from around the world. This book provides a well rounded education into the evolution of the meaning of "gay."

[Sierra Carter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had some interesting facts but over all felt very repetitive and told similar stories of pederasty in Europe for the majority of the book. Very limited accounts of women and/or people of other countries outside of Europe and there were also some very transphobic takes towards the end.

[Aliam · Rating 5 out of 5]

so interesting, seems well researched and enlightening
I loved this book

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Copyright 1995, so the final chapters do not reflect the changes that have occurred on the world and in the United States. A solid history.