Heroes and Exiles: Gay Icons Through the Ages

by Tony Ambrose

Demonized by the Church throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, homosexuals became the scapegoats of society, constantly facing exile or a brutal death. In 'Heroes and Exiles' the human cost of this long exile is told through the lives of the most eminent homosexual men and women in history.

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

216 pages, Paperback

First published August 16, 2010

Reviews

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aprendi muito com esse livro. Claro, a História da homossexualidade não é estudada em lugar nenhum e o máximo que ficamos sabendo sobre ícones gays através dos tempos é de Safo - o bastião da lesbianidade - e de Oscar Wilde, - bastião da viadagem. É interessante reparar que os gays homens retratados aqui ao longo dos tempos são sempre homens ricos e deslumbrados, que se exilam de seus países para buscar aventuras sexuais em outros lugares. Já as lésbicas, por outro lado, baseiam muito mais seu romance em amor e companheirismo, tendo permanecendo juntas por muito mais tempo do que os gays homens. Elas também possuem um interesse muito mais cultural pelas suas parceiras e pelo que essa parceria pode oferecer no andar de suas vidas do que apenas o prazer carnal. Se por um lado é muito bom conhecer os ícones gays e suas história e trajetória, por outro lado, é muito triste ver todas as agruras que toda essa gente teve de sofrer para chegarmos no estágio onde estamos agora, em que a homossexualidade é discutida abertamente e podemos comprar e ler livros como esse sem entrarmos para a ilegalidade ou sermos conduzidos à prisão.

[Joel · Rating 1 out of 5]

For quite a small book the amount of errors in it are absolutely incredible. The amount of unsubstantiated generalizations are bad enough but to get the most basic information wrong is just appalling.

Plato was a GREEK philosopher and NOT a Roman.
Socrates charge of corrupting youth was entirely motivated by political scapegoating and his alleged atheism. I've not read a single account that suggests it had anything to do with sexual motives.
The 'Love that dare not speak its name' is from a poem by Lord Alfred 'Bosie' Douglas...the words are not Wilde's own as the author seems to think. Wilde was defending them and his lover.

Too many errors like this exist within the book. I would not recommend.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A perfectly good reference book to have, though possibly a little dry and sometimes dense. (Some of this is formatting - many pages have a "wall of text" effect.)

[Mick Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started off a bit on the slow side but once into the chapters on certain characters the book really took off,at the end there a list of biographical books to read a more in depth look at their life.

[Nude Literária · Rating 2 out of 5]

O livro conta, em linhas gerais e curtas, as histórias de exílio imposto e "auto"-imposto por diversas personalidades do mundo ocidental. A premissa do livro é muito boa e, claro, eu não poderia esperar que ele fosse tão abrangente na real. Contudo, ele peca em pelo menos reconhecer suas limitações.

O livro começa com "poucas pessoas sofreram tanto quanto os gays na história mundial". Hmmm, será mesmo? hahah outro ponto, o livro praticamente ignora existência de pessoas trans, menciona poucas vezes bis e tem um ou dois capítulos sobre lésbicas. Além disso, o livro concentra suas histórias na França, Itália e Inglaterra. No final, um capítulo sobre a Rússia e um americano que se exilou em Marrocos. Novamente, não espero que o livro cubra todas as etnias e países, mas dá para ver claramente, somado à frase de abertura, a visão que o autor tem.

Sobre o conteúdo: as histórias são bem contadas, sendo praticamente um misto entre biografia e aula de história. Senti muita falta de uma maior apresentação de cada personagem, uma vez que nem todos me são familiares. Então, por vezes, me vi lendo o "sofrimento" de uma pessoa que eu não sabia nada além do nome, data de nascimento/falecimento e país de origem. Adicionalmente, senti muita falta de referências. O livro contém uma seção extensa de bibliografia no final, mas ela nunca é referenciada ao longo do texto, então fica muito difícil separar o que é inserção do autor do que é de fato proveniente de uma fonte crível.

No final, uma ótima leitura de passatempo. A pena é que eu não uso livros para passar o tempo.

[Al Bità · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite many advances in progressing acceptance and toleration of homosexuality especially in the West, homophobia still resides both consciously and unconsciously in society in general, often lying just below the surface of respectability. So it is a good thing to have someone like Tom Ambrose remind us about those homosexuals in the past who can be considered to be heroic (either courageously defiant, or those suffering exile, or both) male and female homosexuals in the past who might even pass as role models.

The writing is straightforward and easy to read. It consists of an interesting Introduction (dealing with the 'fall from grace' in the Western tradition) followed by sixteen short chapters which deal with specific individuals or groups, and a final chapter entitled 'The End of Exile'. It includes a fair sample of the more well-known historical homosexuals, as well as those not so well-known, with some even more obscure. All of them, however, exhibited special qualities which raise them above the ordinary.

All the stories present a subtext of Society's continuing ambivalence in various different ways to the subject. If there is a lesson to be learnt from all this it is that one needs to ensure one never becomes complacent in one's efforts for the elimination of discrimination and bigotry wherever they may appear. As the old adage goes: the price of freedom is eternal vigilance.

[Mark Hebden · Rating 4 out of 5]

This excellent little volume comprises a series of short biographical chapters aimed at providing a background for some of the most well known, but more importantly some of the forgotten homosexual figures of past. Some of the choices and defences are perhaps questionable, was William Beckford not rightly vilified for his persistent paedophilia for example? That said, he is an interesting character whom I had never heard of until now. Similarly the enigmatic Baron Corvo, or more properly Frederick Rolfe. The ladies of Llangollen are an beautiful sounding pair of women who showed that love can triumph, whatever the weather, indeed they went on to become something of national treasures at a time when homosexuality was a dangerous lifestyle choice. The author clearly has his own favourites and glosses over some of the nefarious characteristics of his chosen few, but any book that can help reshape the gender imbalance in our historical pantheon must be welcomed, and perhaps simply given better editorship next time around. Quentin Crisp could have been made more of, so too Alan Turing but it isn’t my book. I would recommend it as an introduction to the characters therein, but more exploration will be required for anyone wanting to get the full picture for any of the people the author speaks of.

[Fred · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very concise history of some of the gay community’s most luminary and historic figures. Heroes is a well written and researched book, the bibliography alone is worth its my weight, and mine, in gold.

In his introduction Ambrose writes “Rome’s conversion to Christianity led to a reign of terror in which homosexuals were made the scapegoats for everything that went wrong in communities. From defeat in war, to crop failures and other natural disasters, homosexuals were wholly responsible for bring down God’s wrath on their innocent neighbors.” I would ask, in many more place than one would think, has that attitude changed much?

[A J · Rating 1 out of 5]

I actually gave up at page 31- far too many generalisations.