What do you think?
Rate this book
The Glamour Boys: The Secret Story of the Rebels who Fought for Britain to Defeat Hitler
We like to think we know the story of how Britain went to war with Germany in 1939, but there is one chapter that has never been told. In the early 1930s, a group of young, queer British MPs visited Berlin on a series of trips that would change the course of the Second World War. As Hitler rose to power, they watched the Nazis arrest their gay and Jewish friends, send them to concentration camps and murder them.
These men were some of the first to warn Britain about Hitler, repeatedly speaking out against their government's policy of appeasing him. Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain hated them. Branding them 'the glamour boys', he had them followed, harassed, spied upon and derided in the press. They suffered abuse, innuendo and threats of de-selection. At a time when even the suggestion of homosexuality could land you in prison, the bravery these men were forced to show in their personal lives gave them extraordinary courage in public. Adept at hiding their true nature, some became talented spies, while others witnessed the brutality of Hitler's camps first hand. Four of them died in action. And without them, this country would never have faced down the Nazis.
Based on years of archival research, this is a story of unsung bravery at a defining moment in Britain's history.
These men were some of the first to warn Britain about Hitler, repeatedly speaking out against their government's policy of appeasing him. Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain hated them. Branding them 'the glamour boys', he had them followed, harassed, spied upon and derided in the press. They suffered abuse, innuendo and threats of de-selection. At a time when even the suggestion of homosexuality could land you in prison, the bravery these men were forced to show in their personal lives gave them extraordinary courage in public. Adept at hiding their true nature, some became talented spies, while others witnessed the brutality of Hitler's camps first hand. Four of them died in action. And without them, this country would never have faced down the Nazis.
Based on years of archival research, this is a story of unsung bravery at a defining moment in Britain's history.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published November 12, 2020
69 people are currently reading
926 people want to read
About the author
Chris Bryant
30 books15 followersChristopher John Bryant is a British politician and former Anglican priest who served in government as Deputy Leader of the House of Commons from 2008 to 2009 and Under-Secretary of State for Europe and Asia from 2009 to 2010, and in the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Culture Secretary and Shadow Leader of the House of Commons from 2015 to 2016. He was privately educated at Cheltenham College before studying English at Mansfield College, Oxford. After graduating with a further degree in theology, he worked as a Church of England priest as well as having roles at the BBC and Common Purpose.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
November 25, 2020
I requested this non-fiction as, though I was aware of the opposition against the appeasement in Britiain in the 1930s, I knew nothing of the role the gay or bisexual men, so-called Glamour Boys, played. The Author's presentation of their background, complicated liasons and political involvement is captivating and easy to follow depite lots and lots of details that at times felt overwhelming to me. Openly or covertly homosexual, the men seemed to be more sensitive to or at least to have a hunch regarding the political developments of their times, and being liberal allowed them to see the real politik for what it really meant. Ronnie Cartland, Robert Bernays, Victor Cazalet and Jack Macnamara are the main historic figures portrayed in this fascinating non-fiction, however, readers are offered nicetities of the English political environment and descriptions of pre-Nazi and Nazi Berlin.
The book is most informative and insightful, focusing both on personal lives and on the opposition evolution among those who, having visited Germany or having heard of the developments there after the fall of the Weimar Republic, realized that to appease Hitler meant just to buy time, with war being inevitable, and to agree to the regime which suppressed anything that did not conform to the new social and legal systems.
I admit I may not remember all the details, however, this book offered me something new, for which I am grateful to the author.
*Many thanks to Chris Bryant, W.F. Howes Ltd, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
The book is most informative and insightful, focusing both on personal lives and on the opposition evolution among those who, having visited Germany or having heard of the developments there after the fall of the Weimar Republic, realized that to appease Hitler meant just to buy time, with war being inevitable, and to agree to the regime which suppressed anything that did not conform to the new social and legal systems.
I admit I may not remember all the details, however, this book offered me something new, for which I am grateful to the author.
*Many thanks to Chris Bryant, W.F. Howes Ltd, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*
August 4, 2021
This is a largely untold slice of queer history. The Glamour Boys were a group of largely Conservative MPs who opposed appeasement in the 1930s, supporting Churchill’s stance in Parliament. They were all either homosexual or bisexual at a particularly difficult time to be gay because of the way the law was applied and the still looming shadow of Wilde. It is written by Labour MP Chris Bryant, who has an interesting background himself, long campaigning for LGBTQ+ rights. The first civil partnership ceremony held in Westminster was that of Bryant and his partner. I also remember an appearance on Gaydar wearing just his pants in 2003 (I kid you not), which was not usual for a sitting MP and the right wing press having a field day. This isn’t his first outing as a historian and this is well researched and detailed.
The Glamour Boys were 17 strong, but Bryant focuses on ten of them: Rob Bernays, Victor Cazalet, Robert Boothby, Jack MacNamara, Harry Crookshank, Ronnie Cartland (Barbara’s younger brother), Ronnie Tree, Harold Nicolson (Vita Sackville-West’s husband), Philip Sassoon and Jim Thomas. Five of them were dead by the end of the war and they are largely forgotten. Their name was coined by Neville Chamberlain and his dirty tricks team and was meant to be deliberately ambiguous as all of them were very aware that because of their sexuality there was always a danger from the police and justice system.
They were all familiar with Germany, having taken full advantage of the sexual liberality of the Weimar Republic. Bryant takes the reader through the lives of each of the characters from the late 1920s to the end of the war. As they were all familiar with Germany they noticed the changes in the culture and political climate in the early 1930s when the Nazis became more prominent. The Night of the Long Knives in 1934, when many prominent gay Nazis were killed, confirmed how thing were going. Many still had friends in Germany and were aware of the rising anti-Semitism and the concentration camps.
This led the Glamour Boys to realise that fascism had to be opposed and they sided with Churchill in arguing against appeasement in Parliament. This meant that they were taking a very unpopular stance in Parliament and in the country as well as always in danger of prosecution because of their sexuality. Chamberlain, who doesn’t come out of this well, set up a dirty tricks department to discredit them and tapped their phones; they had to be very careful. A couple of them were Jewish and that added even more to the dangers they faced. Bryant maps in detail the role they played in opposing appeasement and goes as far as to say:
“Had it not been for the Glamour Boys’ campaign against Chamberlain we would never have fought, let alone won, the Second World War.”
Bryant did a great deal of research for this book and discovered that a good deal of information had either been ignored or erased. Barbara Cartland destroyed most of her brother’s papers before she died. So Bryant had to do detective work and piece together information from many sources to put this together. There are lighter moments as well. Bryant runs through a number of the meeting places for gay men (many of them in the military) in London, including the basement bar at the Ritz, which became known as the “Pink Sink”. The army often provided something of a refuge for gay men at the time and Bryant does describe the complex net of relationships that went to protect gay men in some areas of army life. Cazalet was in charge of an anti-aircraft battery during the first part of the war and it became known as the “Buggers Battery” amongst other things.
Cazalet, Bernays, Cartland and MacNamara all died in action during the war: Sassoon died of natural causes. Bryant has uncovered a story that was little known and little told and has done a good job of telling it.
The Glamour Boys were 17 strong, but Bryant focuses on ten of them: Rob Bernays, Victor Cazalet, Robert Boothby, Jack MacNamara, Harry Crookshank, Ronnie Cartland (Barbara’s younger brother), Ronnie Tree, Harold Nicolson (Vita Sackville-West’s husband), Philip Sassoon and Jim Thomas. Five of them were dead by the end of the war and they are largely forgotten. Their name was coined by Neville Chamberlain and his dirty tricks team and was meant to be deliberately ambiguous as all of them were very aware that because of their sexuality there was always a danger from the police and justice system.
They were all familiar with Germany, having taken full advantage of the sexual liberality of the Weimar Republic. Bryant takes the reader through the lives of each of the characters from the late 1920s to the end of the war. As they were all familiar with Germany they noticed the changes in the culture and political climate in the early 1930s when the Nazis became more prominent. The Night of the Long Knives in 1934, when many prominent gay Nazis were killed, confirmed how thing were going. Many still had friends in Germany and were aware of the rising anti-Semitism and the concentration camps.
This led the Glamour Boys to realise that fascism had to be opposed and they sided with Churchill in arguing against appeasement in Parliament. This meant that they were taking a very unpopular stance in Parliament and in the country as well as always in danger of prosecution because of their sexuality. Chamberlain, who doesn’t come out of this well, set up a dirty tricks department to discredit them and tapped their phones; they had to be very careful. A couple of them were Jewish and that added even more to the dangers they faced. Bryant maps in detail the role they played in opposing appeasement and goes as far as to say:
“Had it not been for the Glamour Boys’ campaign against Chamberlain we would never have fought, let alone won, the Second World War.”
Bryant did a great deal of research for this book and discovered that a good deal of information had either been ignored or erased. Barbara Cartland destroyed most of her brother’s papers before she died. So Bryant had to do detective work and piece together information from many sources to put this together. There are lighter moments as well. Bryant runs through a number of the meeting places for gay men (many of them in the military) in London, including the basement bar at the Ritz, which became known as the “Pink Sink”. The army often provided something of a refuge for gay men at the time and Bryant does describe the complex net of relationships that went to protect gay men in some areas of army life. Cazalet was in charge of an anti-aircraft battery during the first part of the war and it became known as the “Buggers Battery” amongst other things.
Cazalet, Bernays, Cartland and MacNamara all died in action during the war: Sassoon died of natural causes. Bryant has uncovered a story that was little known and little told and has done a good job of telling it.
Read
January 3, 2022This is a highly detailed account of a group of Conservative politicians scathingly known as the Glamour Boys (centred around several queer men) who recognised and indeed cared about the threat posed by Hitler, and put pressure on the Chamberlain government to act.
It starts pretty slowly, with exhaustive accounts of what feels like every queer Englishman who went to Germany in the 1930s, and everyone they all slept with. The research is fantastically detailed, and we get a terrific picture of privileged queer male life inter-war, and the initial attraction many people felt to the burgeoning Nazi movement, not to mention the intense antisemitism and homophobia of the British establishment.
As the murderous hatred of the Nazi regime became clear, with Chamberlain's government determined to ignore it and plenty of people in power who thought Hitler had the right idea, we see some solidly heroic efforts from queer men who saw the danger to Jews and homosexuals, and desperately tried to warn of it, and act against it. This part is brilliantly done--the author really brings the reality of politics to life, with horse trading, threats from the Whips, calculations of party vs country vs career vs, in this case, moral imperative. The Glamour Boys were fighting against their own party which had a huge majority in the House: they were putting their careers and incomes on the line at a point when the Government was desperate to avoid conflict, the country didn't want war, many of them were open to blackmail and exposure from Chamberlain's vile political fixer, and it was very far from a given that one should care what happened to queers or Jews. (It's hard to read this book without wanting to set Chamberlain on fire.)
Ronnie Cartland (Barbara's brother) is a standout character here - a bit of a pleasure-seeking lightweight at first, depending on his glamorous sister, but horrified by the evils in Europe, torpedoing his own political career to stand up against his party's appeasement, joining up when he could, and dying heroically in a last-ditch effort to hold back German troops while the Dunkirk evacuation was carried out. Ronnie was about as out as he could be at the time, and the author draws a parallel between his political and military courage and his bravery in embracing and living his personal truth in a horribly homophobic world.
An important piece of history that deserves telling, and definitely worth persisting with if you find the start rather slow going.
It starts pretty slowly, with exhaustive accounts of what feels like every queer Englishman who went to Germany in the 1930s, and everyone they all slept with. The research is fantastically detailed, and we get a terrific picture of privileged queer male life inter-war, and the initial attraction many people felt to the burgeoning Nazi movement, not to mention the intense antisemitism and homophobia of the British establishment.
As the murderous hatred of the Nazi regime became clear, with Chamberlain's government determined to ignore it and plenty of people in power who thought Hitler had the right idea, we see some solidly heroic efforts from queer men who saw the danger to Jews and homosexuals, and desperately tried to warn of it, and act against it. This part is brilliantly done--the author really brings the reality of politics to life, with horse trading, threats from the Whips, calculations of party vs country vs career vs, in this case, moral imperative. The Glamour Boys were fighting against their own party which had a huge majority in the House: they were putting their careers and incomes on the line at a point when the Government was desperate to avoid conflict, the country didn't want war, many of them were open to blackmail and exposure from Chamberlain's vile political fixer, and it was very far from a given that one should care what happened to queers or Jews. (It's hard to read this book without wanting to set Chamberlain on fire.)
Ronnie Cartland (Barbara's brother) is a standout character here - a bit of a pleasure-seeking lightweight at first, depending on his glamorous sister, but horrified by the evils in Europe, torpedoing his own political career to stand up against his party's appeasement, joining up when he could, and dying heroically in a last-ditch effort to hold back German troops while the Dunkirk evacuation was carried out. Ronnie was about as out as he could be at the time, and the author draws a parallel between his political and military courage and his bravery in embracing and living his personal truth in a horribly homophobic world.
An important piece of history that deserves telling, and definitely worth persisting with if you find the start rather slow going.
November 15, 2022
It is a long time since I changed my mind sharply about a book as I read it. The Glamour Boys opens well then declines rapidly. The idea behind the book is interesting -- to look at the roles played by a group of queer MPs (author's preferred term) in opposing Hitler. Unfortunately, the execution is far less interesting. Initially, Bryant draws an interesting character sketch of Jack Macnamara, Conservative MP for Chelmsford. But this method is abandoned for a factual run through of events leading up to the Second World War. The spark is dulled by a sense of "I have read all of this before." The queer MPs become not so much glamour boys on the stage as bit players walking on to deliver an anecdote here and there. Sir Phillip Sassoon was a charismatic and complex character. In The Glamour Boys he becomes a class stereotype who indulges in extravagant sex parties. There are moments when Bryant fails to get a grip of his subject. He lapses into tabloid bitchiness. Guy Burgess appears, not because he was a glamour boy, but because, heigh ho, nudge nudge, wink, wink, he was well endowed, and MPs could not get enough of it, and it was a useful tool for espionage and the KGB. And there are sections where voting statistics are trotted out -- all very fascinating to Bryant, no doubt, as an MP, but incredibly dull for the reader. The book becomes more and more bogged down with irrelevance as if Bryant has to show every fact he knows. Selection of material would have produced a book with a stronger theme. The starting thesis is also weakened by an issue of identity. Bryant discusses MPs who are "queer or almost queer." What does "almost queer" mean? By the end of the book I was looking for the next book to read.
May 20, 2021
An excellent insight into the lives of some very high profile gay men in a time when it was illegal to be gay.
A well written and extremely well researched book filled with detail that just has you needing to know more about these men.
A somewhat tragic bookat times but so is life!
A well written and extremely well researched book filled with detail that just has you needing to know more about these men.
A somewhat tragic bookat times but so is life!
November 12, 2021
This is an interesting look at the way gay men, particularly those involved in politics, had in opposing Macmillan's attempt at appeasement. It begins with introducing the main characters: Rob Bernays, Robert Boothby, Jack MacNamara, Victor Cazalet, Ronnie Tree, Ronnie Cartland (brother of Barbara), Harold Nicolson (husband of Vita Sackville-West), Philip Sassoon, Harry Crookshank and Jim Thomas.
With homosexuality illegal, there is lots of background about London in the pre-war years and the way that men tended to visit Weimar Germany, where there was a thriving nightlife of clubs and bars. However, it was these, fun loving, visits that led to eye-witness knowledge of the rise of the Nazi party and the discrimination against Jewish people and others - including homosexual friends. Knowing that something had to be done, this book shows their bravery in standing up against appeasement and the sneers and possible public disgrace that came from being part of 'The Glamour Boys.'
I find the history of how many MP's fought to have Nazi Germany taken seriously a fascinating story and this is a different view of that story. Not only were the men involved eager to fight against Hitler, but they were also fighting discrimination in their own country - often having to have a secret personal life and well aware that being identified as homosexual could end their career. Many of the names that I listed in the first paragraph died fighting in the Second World War. With Remembrance Sunday this weekend, I will be sure to remember them and their bravery in highlighting and fighting injustice.
With homosexuality illegal, there is lots of background about London in the pre-war years and the way that men tended to visit Weimar Germany, where there was a thriving nightlife of clubs and bars. However, it was these, fun loving, visits that led to eye-witness knowledge of the rise of the Nazi party and the discrimination against Jewish people and others - including homosexual friends. Knowing that something had to be done, this book shows their bravery in standing up against appeasement and the sneers and possible public disgrace that came from being part of 'The Glamour Boys.'
I find the history of how many MP's fought to have Nazi Germany taken seriously a fascinating story and this is a different view of that story. Not only were the men involved eager to fight against Hitler, but they were also fighting discrimination in their own country - often having to have a secret personal life and well aware that being identified as homosexual could end their career. Many of the names that I listed in the first paragraph died fighting in the Second World War. With Remembrance Sunday this weekend, I will be sure to remember them and their bravery in highlighting and fighting injustice.
March 10, 2024
I have no doubt that this book had an absolutely first rate synopsis when it was plugged to publishers 'Gays - as heroes - against Nazis!' Which must have titillated the marketing department - 'Nazis and sex - a sure fire seller!' so an instant bestseller was born - and who is going to criticise a story of 'bright young men', gay men, who in the 1930's fought to raise awareness in the UK about Hitler? Well I am, because despite what the book claims, what it actually proves, and even more importantly can prove is very limited. The main problem is that the heirs to many of the characters in this book had their papers thoroughly weeded and 'sanitised' to such an extent that there is little real factual information to go on. The Cartland family may be keen to promote Ronnie as a gay hero now, but back in the day his sister Barbara Cartland, her of the always virginal heroine, made sure when she wrote Ronnie's posthumous biography he emerges from her pages as two dimensional as any of her fictional 'prince charming' heroes. The same goes for figures like Philip Sassoon who had had a whole biography recently and just more space to say nothing.
These men weren't even 'gay' - they were definitely homosexuals - and the retrospective use of a 'concept' of the late 20th century such as being 'gay' is ridiculous. These men opposed Hitler but the extent of their moral revulsion, let alone its connection to their sex lives is dubious at best. Their actions were as much about a belief in the UK's primacy as a world power as any objection to Hitler. This is a hypothesis built on the most gossamer of foundations - barely as substantial as a soap bubble. It is lovely to think of a group of important 'gay' male MPs in the 1930's standing together, proudly defiant because of their sexuality of Hitler's Germany an an unspeakable evil but there is nothing to support it. Maybe you will if you believe other fictions like the UK going to war against Germany in 1939 for Poland or because they were against Nazism. The UK went to war because she feared for her place as the dominant European power.
Fiction is lovely, but history is fact and just because you want something to be true, or think it is true, doesn't make it so. It may be argued that I can't prove what I say - but neither can the author.
In the absence of any new archival discoveries all the author offers is another, and not very retelling, of a selection of hoary old gay stories from the 1930's - all of which have been floating around years and in no way can they be described as 'new'. I cannot understand why so many reviewers say that Mr. Bryant has opened up new areas of research and found important new information - is just not true. They are repeating claims of the publisher which are not supported by anything in the book. It rather suggests that many reviewers haven't read the book with any attention.
The men profiled in this book did publicly oppose Nazi Germany; the Nazi's persecution of homosexuals may have played a part in forming their opposition, but there is nothing in their public pronouncements, their surviving papers, or the reminiscence of their friends and colleagues to support it a claim that 'their' homosexuality played any part in why they took the stances against Nazi Germany that they did. There were lots of others who were hostile to Nazi Germany, including Churchill, and they weren't gay. There was no organised 'gay' cabal working to stop Hitler at the heart of Westminster. The author can't even really prove that these various men actually worked together in any way.
It is smoke and mirrors, the worst sort of history because it misinforms people and creates legends that are deceptive and often end up concealing real truths. Even the way the homophobia of the times, bad as it was, is portrayed is without nuance and, for the very privileged men this book deals with, the risks, while real, were tiny compared to those of ordinary gay men. The whole book is a tissue of simplification and misrepresentation.
I hated this book by the time I finished and every gushing review I see offends me not simply like dog shit on my shoe but as personal affront because the book, the way it has been written and promoted screams well plotted, opportunistic and cynical appropriation of the past as a tool to promote and a career.
I want to vomit on every copy of this awful book.
These men weren't even 'gay' - they were definitely homosexuals - and the retrospective use of a 'concept' of the late 20th century such as being 'gay' is ridiculous. These men opposed Hitler but the extent of their moral revulsion, let alone its connection to their sex lives is dubious at best. Their actions were as much about a belief in the UK's primacy as a world power as any objection to Hitler. This is a hypothesis built on the most gossamer of foundations - barely as substantial as a soap bubble. It is lovely to think of a group of important 'gay' male MPs in the 1930's standing together, proudly defiant because of their sexuality of Hitler's Germany an an unspeakable evil but there is nothing to support it. Maybe you will if you believe other fictions like the UK going to war against Germany in 1939 for Poland or because they were against Nazism. The UK went to war because she feared for her place as the dominant European power.
Fiction is lovely, but history is fact and just because you want something to be true, or think it is true, doesn't make it so. It may be argued that I can't prove what I say - but neither can the author.
In the absence of any new archival discoveries all the author offers is another, and not very retelling, of a selection of hoary old gay stories from the 1930's - all of which have been floating around years and in no way can they be described as 'new'. I cannot understand why so many reviewers say that Mr. Bryant has opened up new areas of research and found important new information - is just not true. They are repeating claims of the publisher which are not supported by anything in the book. It rather suggests that many reviewers haven't read the book with any attention.
The men profiled in this book did publicly oppose Nazi Germany; the Nazi's persecution of homosexuals may have played a part in forming their opposition, but there is nothing in their public pronouncements, their surviving papers, or the reminiscence of their friends and colleagues to support it a claim that 'their' homosexuality played any part in why they took the stances against Nazi Germany that they did. There were lots of others who were hostile to Nazi Germany, including Churchill, and they weren't gay. There was no organised 'gay' cabal working to stop Hitler at the heart of Westminster. The author can't even really prove that these various men actually worked together in any way.
It is smoke and mirrors, the worst sort of history because it misinforms people and creates legends that are deceptive and often end up concealing real truths. Even the way the homophobia of the times, bad as it was, is portrayed is without nuance and, for the very privileged men this book deals with, the risks, while real, were tiny compared to those of ordinary gay men. The whole book is a tissue of simplification and misrepresentation.
I hated this book by the time I finished and every gushing review I see offends me not simply like dog shit on my shoe but as personal affront because the book, the way it has been written and promoted screams well plotted, opportunistic and cynical appropriation of the past as a tool to promote and a career.
I want to vomit on every copy of this awful book.
November 12, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and W.F. Howes Ltd for an audio advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review
Prior to listening to this audiobook I had no knowledge of the questionably named 'Glamour Boys' but I enjoyed hearing this overlooked piece of world war 2 history very much. The book was very engaging, educational and extremely hard to put down; I just wanted to know more.
I really enjoyed the narration of this audiobook, I feel like the narrator, Raj Ghutak has the perfect narrating voice for non-fiction and keeping the listener engaged.
I really enjoyed this book and definitely think it's worthy of a 4 star rating for me, a very high 4 star at that.
Prior to listening to this audiobook I had no knowledge of the questionably named 'Glamour Boys' but I enjoyed hearing this overlooked piece of world war 2 history very much. The book was very engaging, educational and extremely hard to put down; I just wanted to know more.
I really enjoyed the narration of this audiobook, I feel like the narrator, Raj Ghutak has the perfect narrating voice for non-fiction and keeping the listener engaged.
I really enjoyed this book and definitely think it's worthy of a 4 star rating for me, a very high 4 star at that.
December 14, 2020
Before reading The Glamour Boys, I knew very little about the many queer MPs who were openly against Chamberland’s policy of appeasing Hitler and Mussolini. Chris Bryant gives a detailed account of their lives that while a little overwhelming at times was still easy and fascinating to listen too.
The book does a great job of illustrating the realities of living as a queer man during this time. The brutal suppression of queer men faced in England is heartbreakingly but honestly told with many examples of the police entrapping queer men and sending them to prison with the thinnest of evidence. Yet many of the queer MPs were able to visit Berlin, a city with a thriving queer community where homosexuality was still illegal, but the law never enforced. So, when their many queer friends in Germany faced danger at the hands of the Nazi’s and were given tours of Nazi camps, where they saw the brutal treatment of homosexuals knowing they too could face a similar fate, the glamour boys were soon outspokenly against Hitler and Mussolini at a time when Chamberlin strove to avoid war at all cost and public opinion was warm to the two dictators.
The book then turns into a gripping political thriller for me, given that I knew nothing about how Churchill came into power. I was on the edge of my seat listening to the dramatic account of how Chamberlin lost his office as mounting pressure grew for war while Chamberlin clung to appeasement despite Hitler’s invasions. I enjoyed this much needed and compelling history of the many brave and queer men who were instrumental in the fight against Hitler and Mussolini and I’m glad that finally their story can be told in full.
The narrator Raj Ghatak did an excellent job narrating and his voice was perfect for this book.
Thanks to Bloomsbury for sending me a free audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
The book does a great job of illustrating the realities of living as a queer man during this time. The brutal suppression of queer men faced in England is heartbreakingly but honestly told with many examples of the police entrapping queer men and sending them to prison with the thinnest of evidence. Yet many of the queer MPs were able to visit Berlin, a city with a thriving queer community where homosexuality was still illegal, but the law never enforced. So, when their many queer friends in Germany faced danger at the hands of the Nazi’s and were given tours of Nazi camps, where they saw the brutal treatment of homosexuals knowing they too could face a similar fate, the glamour boys were soon outspokenly against Hitler and Mussolini at a time when Chamberlin strove to avoid war at all cost and public opinion was warm to the two dictators.
The book then turns into a gripping political thriller for me, given that I knew nothing about how Churchill came into power. I was on the edge of my seat listening to the dramatic account of how Chamberlin lost his office as mounting pressure grew for war while Chamberlin clung to appeasement despite Hitler’s invasions. I enjoyed this much needed and compelling history of the many brave and queer men who were instrumental in the fight against Hitler and Mussolini and I’m glad that finally their story can be told in full.
The narrator Raj Ghatak did an excellent job narrating and his voice was perfect for this book.
Thanks to Bloomsbury for sending me a free audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Read
January 12, 2021This was interesting - detailing the lives of a group of queer or queer-adjacent British MPs who played a role in arguing against the appeasement of Hitler and for arming Britain in preparation of a war against Germany. As a German, I learned a lot about the Third Reich, WW2 and the holocaust in school and also read a lot for myself, but it was always a German-centric narrative. I knew what appeasement was, and knew that fascism wasn’t just a German and Italian thing, but I admit I wasn’t aware quite how far spread the “appeal” of it was in Britain. (I hope it’s obvious that that isn’t meant to suggest that since everyone was doing it Germany shouldn’t have to take responsibility - despite its failings when it comes to de-Nazification, I am proud of German Erinnerungskultur and the fact that we at least try to face up to our history.) So I found it quite enlightening to read about that time from a British perspective.
My favorite parts were however about queer life in a society that tried to make it impossible for queer people to find happiness (or exist), and how there still were places and a community. This is something I have come to long for, and I think it is extremely important to tell these stories.
I wasn’t a fan of the glorifying of the military, but then I never am. I also found it very difficult to keep track of the people and the time sometimes and would have appreciated a simple thing like a date at the bottom or top of each page (ever since I read a biography that had that I want all books that deal with history to have that, because it is extremely helpful).
I’ve decided to stop rating books for now - thinking about star ratings is something I don’t want to spend my time on. I’d rather spend it trying to formulate my thoughts.
My favorite parts were however about queer life in a society that tried to make it impossible for queer people to find happiness (or exist), and how there still were places and a community. This is something I have come to long for, and I think it is extremely important to tell these stories.
I wasn’t a fan of the glorifying of the military, but then I never am. I also found it very difficult to keep track of the people and the time sometimes and would have appreciated a simple thing like a date at the bottom or top of each page (ever since I read a biography that had that I want all books that deal with history to have that, because it is extremely helpful).
I’ve decided to stop rating books for now - thinking about star ratings is something I don’t want to spend my time on. I’d rather spend it trying to formulate my thoughts.
March 6, 2022
Extraordinary piece of sidelined history - a group of MPs and associates (some gay, some bi and some sympathetic) ahead of the game in realising Hitler was a threat and opposing him. 4 of the serving MPs who died in battle in WWII were queer. A useful corrective from the idea that gays are inherently less brave than anyone else.
February 14, 2021
Note to self: This is EVERYTHING and MORE that I want a book to be INCREDIBLY BRILLIANT ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
July 26, 2021
A fascinating corner of history that I did not know much about. The Glamour Boys was a put down to try and shut up a group of gay (or bi-sexual) MPs who spoke up about the dangers of Hitler, the need to re-arm and the folly of appeasement.
Bryant has written a complex (and well researched) group biography against the odds. Being homosexual was illegal in the UK and most gay men were deeply in the closet and some in marriages of convenience. However, Berlin did not enforce the penal code against homosexuality and for many British men - in the words of Isherwood - Berlin meant boys. So it was a place of comparative freedom and these British MPs knew from first hand experience or from friends about the clamp down and the persecution when the National Socialist (Nazi Party) came to power. Their attempts to raise the alarm was not only ignored but they were threatened if they did not shut up. However, at personal cost, they fought on.
Considering many of the subjects destroyed their papers - for fear of being found out and jailed - Bryant has written an engaging book. However, I got confused which character was which and therefore did not get so personally involved with their individual stories. I was more interested in the social history of how gay men negotiated or failed to negotiate the space between turned eye and exposure and their lives being destroyed. I had no idea how widespread anti-Semitism had been in the UK or how ill prepared the country was for war.
There is a chapter on each of the MPS war - most fought and many lost their lives. Good to read that these men's children and grandchildren helped write the book and are proud of not just their ancestor's war record but the men they were too.
Bryant has written a complex (and well researched) group biography against the odds. Being homosexual was illegal in the UK and most gay men were deeply in the closet and some in marriages of convenience. However, Berlin did not enforce the penal code against homosexuality and for many British men - in the words of Isherwood - Berlin meant boys. So it was a place of comparative freedom and these British MPs knew from first hand experience or from friends about the clamp down and the persecution when the National Socialist (Nazi Party) came to power. Their attempts to raise the alarm was not only ignored but they were threatened if they did not shut up. However, at personal cost, they fought on.
Considering many of the subjects destroyed their papers - for fear of being found out and jailed - Bryant has written an engaging book. However, I got confused which character was which and therefore did not get so personally involved with their individual stories. I was more interested in the social history of how gay men negotiated or failed to negotiate the space between turned eye and exposure and their lives being destroyed. I had no idea how widespread anti-Semitism had been in the UK or how ill prepared the country was for war.
There is a chapter on each of the MPS war - most fought and many lost their lives. Good to read that these men's children and grandchildren helped write the book and are proud of not just their ancestor's war record but the men they were too.
March 2, 2024
Interesting sketches of a wide variety of queer men from the 1930s who were called “the glamour boys” by Neville Chamberlain, who they opposed for his appeasement of Hitler. “Glamour” in this sense was almost certainly a coded reference to their homosexuality and meant more “enchanters” or “spell casters” rather than the modern definition. There were a lot of names in those book, and Bryant often did not always identify who they were (assume knowledge); if I hadn’t recently finished Henry 'Chips' Channon: The Diaries (Volume 1): 1918-38 (all three volumes), I probably would have been very lost. I felt like the book sort of fell apart towards the middle and never quite recovered its footing.
September 10, 2022
I enjoyed this book. The only LGBT aspect of it was that many of the characters involved were allegedly gay.
What interested me was not the fact that they were gay but the politics and the inside history of that time. It has revised my view of Neville Chamberlain; far from being the weak vacillator, he was a ruthless bastard. I found the references to Bob Boothby interesting. I remember meeting him as a child.
There were also some little delightful nuggets of information, such as a reference to the bisexual Hugh Gaitskell. Often referred to as the best prime minister we never had, who knew about this aspect of the man?
I can see that for some who are not particularly interested or informed about the history of that period it could seem somewhat dull and repetitive, indeed one member likened it to a series of research papers that were oppresively dull.
What interested me was not the fact that they were gay but the politics and the inside history of that time. It has revised my view of Neville Chamberlain; far from being the weak vacillator, he was a ruthless bastard. I found the references to Bob Boothby interesting. I remember meeting him as a child.
There were also some little delightful nuggets of information, such as a reference to the bisexual Hugh Gaitskell. Often referred to as the best prime minister we never had, who knew about this aspect of the man?
I can see that for some who are not particularly interested or informed about the history of that period it could seem somewhat dull and repetitive, indeed one member likened it to a series of research papers that were oppresively dull.
January 1, 2022
Chris Bryant's book tells the little known story of a cross-party group of MPs, all linked by their sexuality and their opposition to Appeasement. The title refers to the homophobic insult levelled at them by Neville Chamberlain, who is portrayed by Bryant in justifiably unflattering terms.
The sections covering the crucial parliamentary debates of 1938-9 regarding the growing threat from Nazi Germany are stirringly described and the war experiences of the 'Glamour boys' are rather humbling.
One of the most impressive aspects of this book is the insight we are given into social attitudes towards homosexuality, as well as the ingrained antisemitism of many Britons from a range of social backgrounds.
Overall, an impressive retelling of this pivotal moment in British Parliamentary history.
The sections covering the crucial parliamentary debates of 1938-9 regarding the growing threat from Nazi Germany are stirringly described and the war experiences of the 'Glamour boys' are rather humbling.
One of the most impressive aspects of this book is the insight we are given into social attitudes towards homosexuality, as well as the ingrained antisemitism of many Britons from a range of social backgrounds.
Overall, an impressive retelling of this pivotal moment in British Parliamentary history.
January 2, 2022
What an excellent book, perfect mix of politics, war and gossip with a touch of queer history. The book is clearly well researched, and written beautifully considering the weight of the information in there including multiple individuals and their extended connections being mentioned. The Glamour Boys paints an amazing picture of what it was like to be in the ruling class in the 1930s and what it was like to be a gay man during this time of horrendous repression. It’s hard not to see these men as real heroes.
August 16, 2024
"The secret story of the rebels who fought for Britain to defeat Hitler."
"We like to think we know the story of how Britain went to war with Germany in 1939, but there is one chapter that has never been told. In the early 1930s, a group of young, queer MPs visited Berlin on a series of trips that would change the course of the Second World War."
Despite the advice from The Glamour Boys that Britain needed to re-arm quickly, the advice was ignored because no-one wanted to believe that Germany would start another war.
A great read and very insightful.
"We like to think we know the story of how Britain went to war with Germany in 1939, but there is one chapter that has never been told. In the early 1930s, a group of young, queer MPs visited Berlin on a series of trips that would change the course of the Second World War."
Despite the advice from The Glamour Boys that Britain needed to re-arm quickly, the advice was ignored because no-one wanted to believe that Germany would start another war.
A great read and very insightful.
February 16, 2021
Really enjoyed and was very moved by this account of a group of MPs who tried to alert the then UK government of Neville Chamberlin about the growing danger of Germany in the 1930’s and were dismissed as ‘the glamour boys’ because of their sexual preferences. Chris Bryant does a brilliant job of forensic research and brings to light many documents that have remained until now unpublished offering an incredible story of these band of brothers who went on to fight in the very war they sought to prevent. Highly recommend.
January 17, 2024
I really tried hard, and gave it over 200 pages but I'm done; it's just dull. Bryant has obviously done an awful lot of research and seems determined to inflict it all upon the reader.
It's great to uncover hidden queer figures in history but the writing left a lot to be desired. Some pages just seem like lists of names, parliamentary seats and votes.
It's great to uncover hidden queer figures in history but the writing left a lot to be desired. Some pages just seem like lists of names, parliamentary seats and votes.
January 3, 2021
Really excellent read - wasn't aware of this story at all before I heard Chris Bryant interviewed on History Extra podcast. Fascinating story of gay, mainly Conservative MPs and how they fought for Britain to stand up to Hitler and prepare for war. It was particularly interesting to see how complex their relationships were - being unable to marry, most had a patchwork of long-term lovers, intimate male friends and then more casual partners - I guess touching on what we'd now call 'open relationships'.
I also hadn't realised how set Chambelain and his supporters had been on appeasement and how they manipulated newspapers and other institutions to their ends. I had always seen Chamberlain as naive and optimistic but actually it seems he was power-mad and arrogant and willing to run Britain's reputation through the mud to secure his own power. After hearing so much about 'blitz spirit' in the past year, it seems we've forgotten this very different side to our role in world war two - a very shameful episode for the country, selling Austria and Czechlovakia down the river.
Another shock in the book is the prevalence of anti-Semitism in the country and particularly in the Conservative party - very shocking considering how sanctimonious we can be about how we won the war and defeated the evils of Hitler - when anti-Semitism was happily running almost unchecked through our own national institutions.
I also hadn't realised how set Chambelain and his supporters had been on appeasement and how they manipulated newspapers and other institutions to their ends. I had always seen Chamberlain as naive and optimistic but actually it seems he was power-mad and arrogant and willing to run Britain's reputation through the mud to secure his own power. After hearing so much about 'blitz spirit' in the past year, it seems we've forgotten this very different side to our role in world war two - a very shameful episode for the country, selling Austria and Czechlovakia down the river.
Another shock in the book is the prevalence of anti-Semitism in the country and particularly in the Conservative party - very shocking considering how sanctimonious we can be about how we won the war and defeated the evils of Hitler - when anti-Semitism was happily running almost unchecked through our own national institutions.
January 8, 2021
I'm not a huge fan of history non-fiction but as soon as I saw this I knew I had to read it and I'm so glad I did. This is an interesting, forensic, thoughtful and brilliant read.
December 30, 2020
You don’t frequently get queer history books and you most certainly don’t get history books that argue how gay men saved us from Nazi slavery.
Which, on its own, makes this a remarkable read.
Infinite kudos to Chris Bryant for this astounding research that systematically proves how the Second World War was won also by men ostracised by society and law, but whose style, heroism and genius made all the difference.
Which, on its own, makes this a remarkable read.
Infinite kudos to Chris Bryant for this astounding research that systematically proves how the Second World War was won also by men ostracised by society and law, but whose style, heroism and genius made all the difference.
January 24, 2023
A fascinating perspective on WW2 and the politics behind British involvement.
Want to read
December 4, 2020This is a story that needs to be told, it’s about a time in history when things were very different, when trying to seek personal happiness was fraught with danger, of fear of exposure, public humiliation and being ostracised by your family, friends and work colleagues not to mention possibly prison. But despite this they were prepared to risk public exposure to themselves, to bring to the public notice the vile, hateful and barbaric nature of Hitler's Germany. That time has thankfully passed and hopefully will not return.
The name ‘Glamour Boys’ was used as a coded reference by the disapproving/hostile to suggest that they were not quite like, ‘conventional men’ who like them were interested in the opposite sex. Interestingly by the autumn of 1940 this epithet was applied to pilots of RAF Fighter Command, with no suggestion that they were anything other than fully heterosexual.
The author painter a description of Berlin in the 20s and early 30s where gay life was open and carefree (homosexuality was against the law but the law wasn't enforced). For gay men visiting from this country, Berlin must have seem like being in paradise.
By contrast, this country must have felt repressive indeed frightening. London in the same period while having many gay establishments was enveloped by fear of arrest, disgrace and all that the ‘morally pure’ could throw at them (and given half a chance still do). While money and social position could certainly protected you, it could go only so far.
What is easily forgotten was that for the upper third of society it was a very very male world. It started at single sex school, university, then the law, business or a stint in the Armed Forces before moving on to politics-Parliament–government, this along with the clubs of Pall Mall was an environment almost exclusively of men, but whether married or otherwise most men found it very congenial.
Some 200 out of a total of 600 or so MP's, were ‘bachelors’ (not all by any means gay) at a time when in the general population there are more women than men (as a result of the First World War and the death of 715,000 men) did come as a surprise.
Many gay men who knew Berlin during the time of the Wiemar Republic were not that concerned when the Nazis seize power (legally) to begin with. They were prepared to see what National Socialism really meant. But the Boys discovered earlier on, first from letters then by travelling to Berlin and seeing for themselves what what was happening inside the county and to their friends.
Leading Nazis were happy to organise visits for foreign visitors (who they thought were of like mind) to see their local Concentration Camp and how they helped the degenerates of society (Jews, communists, other political opponents, homosexuals Freemasons and gypsies) to see the error of their ways and become ‘model German citizens’.
Most people in Britain didn’t have the means to travel so got their news from the newspapers, many of who’s proprietors were very happy to pander to Hitler's grievance agenda, (the Versailles treaty and it's apparent injustices) and gave the Nazis an easy ride. Since the end of the First World War successive German governments and other members of the elite have been lying to their population about who started the war and why they lost it (perfidious Albion, and stab in the back by Jewish/communists politicians). Not to mention how terrible unfair the Treaty of Versailles was not lest clause 231 the War Guilt Clause.
This book makes clear that from all parts of the social hierarchy in this county low-level anti-Semitism was rife, mainly (but not exclusively) verbally insult. Peoples readiness to be discourteous and other general unpleasantness which they directed towards those who were different (from them) was widespread and casual in its utterances. This may go some way but only a very short way, to explain why when reports of what was happening to the Jews and others who the Nazis didn't like was met with a degree of unconcerned indifference.
Some men come into Downing Street suffering from hubris others acquired in office (Tony Blair, David Cameron) in Chamberlain's case it's the former. Both his father and half brother had held Cabinet positions but he has gone one better he was now Prime Minister. Chamberlain thought his policy of appeasement could achieved something that neither his father nor half brother had, a treaty to avoid war, had this been achieved the Nobel Peace Price may well have come his way as well, now that would have been the icing on the cake as his half brother Austin had been awarded the prize in 1926 for the Locarno treaty.
Chamberlain followed public opinion, he did not lead it and public opinion was against another war at almost any price. Had the public seen the Air Ministries estimates of the number of deaths and wounded they believed would result from a bombing campaign directed at London, they would've been even more determined to avoid war. These figures were truly terrifying, thankfully the estimates were very very wide of the mark.
Chamberlain was quite prepared to use all the levers of power legal or otherwise to silence his critics. Asking Sir George Joseph Ball, barrister, intelligence officer and shady political operator to keep a close eye are all those who opposed his appeasement policy. Ball also control a weekly pro fascist publication called the Truth, a vile anti-Semitic scandal rag.
What is all too often overlooked is that when Chamberlain gets off the plane at Heston aerodrome and waves a piece of paper in the air, that piece of paper is not the Munich Agreement it is something he cobble together with Hitler that morning and which becomes ‘peace in our times’.
I would suggest subconsciously he knew that the Munich agreement was a dishonourable and disgraceful business. Which is why he ensured that ‘peace in our time’ took centre stage and what most people, if asked were cheering for. This goes some way to explaining the great rejoicing in this country and abroad when he came back from Munich, having apparently achieved peace. Czechoslovakia was swiftly relegated to the inside pages and quietly forgotten.
It took courage to stand up to the government machine and a Prime Minister with a vindictive streak against those who opposed his grand design. The press barons who should have known better, instead they made excuse for what was going on and why this county should not interfere and then dismiss what their own reporters were saying to pedal a very rose tinted view of Hitler and his gang.
When Neville Chamberlain died of bowel cancer in November 1940 you would have had great difficulty finding anyone in this country who said they had supported him at the time of Munich a little over two years before.
I wouldn't go so far as some who suggest that the Glamour Boys outshine Churchill in they're bringing to the public's attention what was going on in Germany and the evils of Nazism. Both Churchill and the Boys worked together to achieve that result.
An easy read, very gossipy but an enjoyable book. It's clear that the author enjoyed writing it.
C.S.
The name ‘Glamour Boys’ was used as a coded reference by the disapproving/hostile to suggest that they were not quite like, ‘conventional men’ who like them were interested in the opposite sex. Interestingly by the autumn of 1940 this epithet was applied to pilots of RAF Fighter Command, with no suggestion that they were anything other than fully heterosexual.
The author painter a description of Berlin in the 20s and early 30s where gay life was open and carefree (homosexuality was against the law but the law wasn't enforced). For gay men visiting from this country, Berlin must have seem like being in paradise.
By contrast, this country must have felt repressive indeed frightening. London in the same period while having many gay establishments was enveloped by fear of arrest, disgrace and all that the ‘morally pure’ could throw at them (and given half a chance still do). While money and social position could certainly protected you, it could go only so far.
What is easily forgotten was that for the upper third of society it was a very very male world. It started at single sex school, university, then the law, business or a stint in the Armed Forces before moving on to politics-Parliament–government, this along with the clubs of Pall Mall was an environment almost exclusively of men, but whether married or otherwise most men found it very congenial.
Some 200 out of a total of 600 or so MP's, were ‘bachelors’ (not all by any means gay) at a time when in the general population there are more women than men (as a result of the First World War and the death of 715,000 men) did come as a surprise.
Many gay men who knew Berlin during the time of the Wiemar Republic were not that concerned when the Nazis seize power (legally) to begin with. They were prepared to see what National Socialism really meant. But the Boys discovered earlier on, first from letters then by travelling to Berlin and seeing for themselves what what was happening inside the county and to their friends.
Leading Nazis were happy to organise visits for foreign visitors (who they thought were of like mind) to see their local Concentration Camp and how they helped the degenerates of society (Jews, communists, other political opponents, homosexuals Freemasons and gypsies) to see the error of their ways and become ‘model German citizens’.
Most people in Britain didn’t have the means to travel so got their news from the newspapers, many of who’s proprietors were very happy to pander to Hitler's grievance agenda, (the Versailles treaty and it's apparent injustices) and gave the Nazis an easy ride. Since the end of the First World War successive German governments and other members of the elite have been lying to their population about who started the war and why they lost it (perfidious Albion, and stab in the back by Jewish/communists politicians). Not to mention how terrible unfair the Treaty of Versailles was not lest clause 231 the War Guilt Clause.
This book makes clear that from all parts of the social hierarchy in this county low-level anti-Semitism was rife, mainly (but not exclusively) verbally insult. Peoples readiness to be discourteous and other general unpleasantness which they directed towards those who were different (from them) was widespread and casual in its utterances. This may go some way but only a very short way, to explain why when reports of what was happening to the Jews and others who the Nazis didn't like was met with a degree of unconcerned indifference.
Some men come into Downing Street suffering from hubris others acquired in office (Tony Blair, David Cameron) in Chamberlain's case it's the former. Both his father and half brother had held Cabinet positions but he has gone one better he was now Prime Minister. Chamberlain thought his policy of appeasement could achieved something that neither his father nor half brother had, a treaty to avoid war, had this been achieved the Nobel Peace Price may well have come his way as well, now that would have been the icing on the cake as his half brother Austin had been awarded the prize in 1926 for the Locarno treaty.
Chamberlain followed public opinion, he did not lead it and public opinion was against another war at almost any price. Had the public seen the Air Ministries estimates of the number of deaths and wounded they believed would result from a bombing campaign directed at London, they would've been even more determined to avoid war. These figures were truly terrifying, thankfully the estimates were very very wide of the mark.
Chamberlain was quite prepared to use all the levers of power legal or otherwise to silence his critics. Asking Sir George Joseph Ball, barrister, intelligence officer and shady political operator to keep a close eye are all those who opposed his appeasement policy. Ball also control a weekly pro fascist publication called the Truth, a vile anti-Semitic scandal rag.
What is all too often overlooked is that when Chamberlain gets off the plane at Heston aerodrome and waves a piece of paper in the air, that piece of paper is not the Munich Agreement it is something he cobble together with Hitler that morning and which becomes ‘peace in our times’.
I would suggest subconsciously he knew that the Munich agreement was a dishonourable and disgraceful business. Which is why he ensured that ‘peace in our time’ took centre stage and what most people, if asked were cheering for. This goes some way to explaining the great rejoicing in this country and abroad when he came back from Munich, having apparently achieved peace. Czechoslovakia was swiftly relegated to the inside pages and quietly forgotten.
It took courage to stand up to the government machine and a Prime Minister with a vindictive streak against those who opposed his grand design. The press barons who should have known better, instead they made excuse for what was going on and why this county should not interfere and then dismiss what their own reporters were saying to pedal a very rose tinted view of Hitler and his gang.
When Neville Chamberlain died of bowel cancer in November 1940 you would have had great difficulty finding anyone in this country who said they had supported him at the time of Munich a little over two years before.
I wouldn't go so far as some who suggest that the Glamour Boys outshine Churchill in they're bringing to the public's attention what was going on in Germany and the evils of Nazism. Both Churchill and the Boys worked together to achieve that result.
An easy read, very gossipy but an enjoyable book. It's clear that the author enjoyed writing it.
C.S.
August 23, 2021
The Glamour Boys is a fascinating account of the influence a coterie of queer men (the term chosen by the author) had on the British political landscape in the years leading up to and into World War Two. The Glamour Boys was a derogatory sobriquet given to this relatively small group of men who proved to be a constant thorn in the side of the conservative establishment for preaching the dangers of Hitler and his Nazis long before their political and social colleagues and associates. Not knowing much about early twentieth century British politics, I did feel a little bewildered by the arcane happenings of the 1920s, and was shocked by the blatant anti-semitism of the time. It is an impeccably researched book, almost to the extent of tilting the book’s balance. (Do we need to know how many cocktails were imbibed at the party of Lord xxxx? Okay, an exaggeration, however the author spends much of the book wanting to prove the queer credentials of his characters.)
May 16, 2021
An extremely interesting book about a group of queer MPs who, mainly after the Night of the Long Knives and its open homophobia, become advocates for ending appeasement. The description of gay lives in the Thirties is sensitive and interesting, including the freedoms of Germany in the Twenties, but sometimes I felt the biographies were a little over researched.
Although I completely agree it’s been an overlooked passage of history and their contributions were certainly unknown to me, I am less sure than the author that their role was quite so key to overthrowing Chamberlain. ( Though his dirty tricks campaign against them, including calling them the Glamour Boys, was truly nasty).
And it is a tragedy but I want go further for those that want to read it for themselves. Recommended.
Although I completely agree it’s been an overlooked passage of history and their contributions were certainly unknown to me, I am less sure than the author that their role was quite so key to overthrowing Chamberlain. ( Though his dirty tricks campaign against them, including calling them the Glamour Boys, was truly nasty).
And it is a tragedy but I want go further for those that want to read it for themselves. Recommended.
February 6, 2021
Endearing, charming, gritty and inspirational. This book managed to summon numerous emotions and has taught and enlightened me about these queer wartime heroes that are mentioned. Superbly well written and I found it difficult to put down! I can't wait to revisit it! Thank you so much Chris Bryant MP for creating and bringing to light these amazing peoples stories and sharing their lives with us. Thank you! 🙏
June 3, 2022
Despite the interesting subject matter this didn't grab me. The writing was pretty repetitive - a LOT of contextual filler that didn't add much to the narrative - and a tedious focus on the intricacies of the British upper class. Had I not been familiar with the events covered I might well have enjoyed it but fell flat for me.
March 4, 2024
3.5 stars, but Goodreads doesn’t allow half stars.
Hmm, I think the problem I had with this book was listening to the Bad Gays podcast: Huw Lemmey and Ben Miller talking about “evil and complicated queers in history”. I am now very wary of any history or biography that claims that people’s sexuality influenced their politics in any particular direction. Bryant makes the argument that a small group of “queer or almost queer” male British MPs were influenced by their sexuality to see the necessity of Britain fighting Hitler when other British MPs still thought appeasement was possible. But there were heterosexual MPs who also saw the need to fight Nazism. At a time when homosexual and bisexual men could be arrested, charged and imprisoned for ‘gross indecency’ in the UK, would the Nazi attacks on homosexuals in Germany have seemed that much worse, even if it was such a complete change from the relative openness of the Weimar Republic? Did being queer in a time of persecution really require the sort of courage that enabled homosexual and bisexual men to stand against appeasement? Were there other queer men who supported appeasement? I can see why Bryant, a gay member of the UK Parliament himself, wants to make this argument, and the use of the term “glamour boys” by their opponents does raise the question of the sexuality of at least some of those who opposed appeasement. But I also wanted to hear more about someone like Sir Anthony Muirhead, who was the commanding officer of an Anti-Tank regiment and committed suicide at the beginning on the war. He had been ‘another bachelor MP’. What was his story? Why didn’t Bryant investigate that further. I was interested to learn about the queer MPs whose stories Bryant does tell (although Victor Cazalet’s Zionism reads differently in 2024 than it would have when the book was published in 2020 - can we agree now that creating a Jewish homeland on top of Palestine with no thought for how the Palestinians would react was a bad plan?) but I’m just not convinced by the central premise of the connection between the subjects’ queerness and their opposition to Hitler. As I said, I blame ‘Bad Gays’.
Hmm, I think the problem I had with this book was listening to the Bad Gays podcast: Huw Lemmey and Ben Miller talking about “evil and complicated queers in history”. I am now very wary of any history or biography that claims that people’s sexuality influenced their politics in any particular direction. Bryant makes the argument that a small group of “queer or almost queer” male British MPs were influenced by their sexuality to see the necessity of Britain fighting Hitler when other British MPs still thought appeasement was possible. But there were heterosexual MPs who also saw the need to fight Nazism. At a time when homosexual and bisexual men could be arrested, charged and imprisoned for ‘gross indecency’ in the UK, would the Nazi attacks on homosexuals in Germany have seemed that much worse, even if it was such a complete change from the relative openness of the Weimar Republic? Did being queer in a time of persecution really require the sort of courage that enabled homosexual and bisexual men to stand against appeasement? Were there other queer men who supported appeasement? I can see why Bryant, a gay member of the UK Parliament himself, wants to make this argument, and the use of the term “glamour boys” by their opponents does raise the question of the sexuality of at least some of those who opposed appeasement. But I also wanted to hear more about someone like Sir Anthony Muirhead, who was the commanding officer of an Anti-Tank regiment and committed suicide at the beginning on the war. He had been ‘another bachelor MP’. What was his story? Why didn’t Bryant investigate that further. I was interested to learn about the queer MPs whose stories Bryant does tell (although Victor Cazalet’s Zionism reads differently in 2024 than it would have when the book was published in 2020 - can we agree now that creating a Jewish homeland on top of Palestine with no thought for how the Palestinians would react was a bad plan?) but I’m just not convinced by the central premise of the connection between the subjects’ queerness and their opposition to Hitler. As I said, I blame ‘Bad Gays’.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews