History Laid Bare: Love, Sex & Perversity from the Ancient Etruscans to Warren G. Harding

by Richard Zacks

Surprising historical documents--such as a treatise on the difficulties of sex with the devil--are interspersed with reflections on sex and love by famous artists, statesmen, and saints

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Sexuality, Trivia, World History, Gender and Sexuality, Historical

463 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Richard Zacks (1955-?) was born in Savannah, Georgia but grew up in New York City. He was a Classical Greek major at the University of Michigan and studied Arabic in Cairo, Italian in Perugia, and French in the vineyards of France.. After completing Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism, he wrote a syndicated column for four years carried by the NY Daily News, Boston Globe, Dallas Morning News and many others.He keeps a hole-in-the-wall office in Manhattan and lives just outside the city limits in an 1897 stucco house, once used by bootleggers.

Reviews

[Zahir · Rating 2 out of 5]

After finishing Richard Zack's "Island of Vice," I visited his website and saw the description of this book. The website describes History Laid Bare as "Basically, this book is an annotated anthology of authentic, often raunchy sexual anecdotes, gleaned from court records, memoirs, letters…" and frankly, that's all it is.

Although I did largely enjoy Island of Vice for its subject matter and interesting commentary, my biggest critique of that book is that Zacks tends to get very repetitive and boring after a while. While he starts off with terrific content and a great pace, the latter parts of his book tend to become a quagmire of repetitive details that begin to bore the reader. History Laid Bare is no exception.

The strongest part of this book is that it does deal with subject matter rarely dealt with in our general history books or other biographies. He had some very funny and interesting commentary on the Ancient Greeks and Romans, who were very open about their sexuality. Particularly funny was the reference to the ancient Greeks really worshiping great asses on women.. really, there was a Greek temple called Aphrodite Kallipygiea, which meant "Aphrodite of the Great Ass." Some of the other historical documents and references are very amusing. There are also some serious and sad parts, like when he discusses child prostitution in Victorian London.

But just like in Island of Vice, Zacks then gets bogged down in some repetitive details, especially when he's discussing the 18th and 19th centuries. He spends a lot of time talking about how people enjoyed being flogged during that era, and there were some long and very repetitive accounts of Victorian scholars talking about how they enjoyed getting spanked in their school days. It dragged out a little too long in these parts.

Overall, an amusing, but very sophomoric read. The book is set up just as a collection of quips and references, but never goes into anything deep. Most of it is just reproducing historical letters or referring to old texts that discussed sexuality or had famous people talking about sex. Very little analysis, and a lot of "hey look at this old document, and see how funny it is when Napoleon talks about his wife's genitalia..." sort of appeal. Worth flipping through, but not actually reading through.

[Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fascinating read. It's a collection of source material, with few interjections from the author, of love and sex, from ancient times to the early 20th century. That may sound a little dry, right until you are staring at laws from thousands of years ago, accounts of Cleopatra's plainness, Catherine the Great's young male lovers, Edgar Allan Poe's propensity for obsessive courtship, and not just one woman at a time.

You discover that Mozart was a little scatological, Casanova lost his virginity in a threesome with sisters, and a lot of adventurers had a little too much fun with the natives. While long, each of the sources are short and informative, and the only times Zacks jumps in is for clarification and background. It's great to just pick up and read about Marx's softer side before putting it down and continuing on with your day.

[Erik Graff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think my younger brother had this up at the Michigan cottage with him. In any case, someone had it up in Michigan and left it there for me to read on a slow night.

Reminiscent of Cecil's "True Dope" columns, this is a compendium of historical curiosities, most of which have to do with the private behaviors and embarrassments of public figures--the kind of stuff a high school history teacher might want to include as spice for class lectures.

[Mrelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to this book, every time I hear Mozart's music I think of his...um...unique style of love letters.
Also worth noting are the excerpts of medieval manuals for priests hearing confession. Apparently, my husband and I should be on bread and water for approximately 500 years...

[Esmeralda Rupp-Spangle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bathroom reading. Cute but kind of abbreviated and not particularly educational. Mediocre writing. Facts of dubious legitimacy.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exactly as the title promises! Definitely some interesting and eyebrow raising things in this book!

[Deodand · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book off a friend's bookshelf. He was one of those people who buy books and display them but don't read. Isn't that ridiculous? Anyway I enjoyed this book so I sort of kept/stole it. It was just rotting there anyway, so I can claim to have rescued it.

I had no idea what a dirty piece of literature this was - and I mean that in the best possible sense. It is educational and prurient at the same time. Let's just say that I read this a number of times and leave it there!

The publication date says 1995 but I think I picked this up earlier than that. Maybe I read an earlier edition.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite an interesting yet overtly sexual read relying heavily on historical facts and (mostly acceptable) humor. Although the occasional grotesque scene does occur, one has been adequately forewarned by the titles of both book and chapter. If one has a sense of humor about that which comes naturally within a healthy lifestyle, this book will be an enjoyable and addictive read.

[Michael Norwitz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The volume is slight, and less a detailed history than a compendium of excerpts and quotes from 1400 BCE to 1912. It's a bit uneven - the excerpts from the certain periods are less about sexual practices of the era than sexual persecution, and are difficult to read and a poor fit to the occasionally amusing randy goings-on detailed elsewhere.

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

In many cases, a history of the denial of basic human rights to women and children. But in many other cases, an amusing picture of men and women through the ages as slaves to their hormones. Some interesting insights into the mentality of the ancients and many historical figures.

[Karri Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting.

[Maurean · Rating 2 out of 5]

well, I read through bits of this....skimmed over parts here & there...some interestings tidbits, but mostly monotonous...

[Alan Shen · Rating 5 out of 5]

god, this guy now writes about pirates ... it used to be about all the sexy, dirty secrets throughout history. love it.

[Jay Kloosterman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the way it was putting sex all over history...its as good as his other book, an incomplete education, it just focuses on one thing.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly tasteful, mostly funny.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am re reading Pour le plaisir !!!

[Mary Newcomb]

Disturbing, interesting and unusual; this book outlines some history I have certainly not studied before! It seems to be that there is not much new when it comes to people and their fascinations.

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes gross but overall very interesting.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting look at our more scandalous side of history.

[Ann]

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