Clean and Decent: The Fascinating History of the Bathroom and WC

by Lawrence Wright

Who would have supposed that the Romans had lagged hot-water pipes? That Queen Elizabeth I had a valve water-closet? That Louis IV had cushions in his bath? This informative and hilarious book leads the reader to believe that more may be learned about the past from bathrooms than from battlefields, and that patterns of social history are mirrored in the bathwater.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Microhistory, Science

282 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1960

About the author

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Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I have really taken for granted the development of bathroom fixtures and plumbing! Many, many people have tinkered and toiled with baths, basins, and toilets over hundreds of years, to make them the models of efficiency and cleanliness (generally speaking of course), that we have come to expect in the industrialized world today. I never appreciated the number of styles of bath that had been developed, advertised and generally used as a medicinal cure rather than a pleasurable cleansing that we are accustomed to. This book was written as a follow up of a display that the author had developed on the History of the Bathroom, and as such, it reads much like a brief catalogue of items in some regard. There are moments of humour, and many of the vignettes of toilet and bathing trivia, leave you wishing for just a bit more detail.

[Susan Chapek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I write historicals, and this book was a happy discovery back before the intertubes made research easier. The used 1960 hardcover edition (previous owner lived--suitably--in Bath, UK) holds a place of honor on my general research shelf, and I even enjoy browsing it on occasion. I bought it on AbeBooks, and then they turned around and insulted my taste recently by adding the title to their Weird Book Room page.

[Jerry Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad. Always interesting to read books written in the 60s as they seem so much less engaging that modern prose. This book discusses the development of washing essentially. Many intereting facts but overall I found it too disjointed and unable to decide on its structure. It is semi-chronological but jumps between bathrooms, plumbing, toilets and then back again.

[Liam Ostermann · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely ghastly - very disappointing - hated it - just a load of snobby drivel - I wanted the author to fall down a toilet - a word he hates - cause he is one of those dreadful old school pretentious gits. Wouldn't mind if it was in any way amusing or informative - it is not - it is horribly dated in content, presentation and prose - surely in the sixty odd years since this was first published a better book has come out about the history of loos? Actually now that I think of it a wonderfully eccentric woman - Lucinda Lambton - wrote a book called 'Temples of Convenience' - not a history - but wonderful pictures - just so much better then this tosch.

[Just Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great and informative book, funny at many points, but sadly absent of any bathroom history from non Western cultures! Occasional references to the 'surprising' cleanliness of remote tribes in comparison to the civilized Europeans are the most diverse mentions you'll get. Perhaps a newer version could catch up on all the crazy wonderful toilets coming out of Japan? or the 2020 selling-out of bidets as people began to work from home in COVID.

[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable look at the history of bathrooms, toilets, plumbing, drainage and hygiene.

It can be difficult to follow the structure of this book, as it does tend to jump around in time and space - I would love to read a revised version! However the information is indeed fascinating, the writing sufficiently engaging and overall a worthwhile addition to my bookshelf.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

A whole new way to appreciate history! This book answers questions you may never have thought to ask.

[Snail in Danger (Sid) Nicolaides]

All the illustrations are redrawings, and the book is slightly dated, but the information is good, and I remember there being a decent bibliography.