One Nation Under Sex: How the Private Lives of Presidents, First Ladies and Their Lovers Changed the Course of American History by Larry Flynt

Oct 21, 2012 Resonance rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a surprisingly good, fair, and thorough work. I half expected it to be a lurid expose of sexual hypocrisy among our elected officials, dragging everyone through the mud with every rumor ever shared about them. Instead it turned out to be pretty even handed and had a LOT of interesting data. I won't spoil it, but some of it was completely new to me. The author's aim throughout the work hasn't been 'oh, look who knocked boots in the White House' or 'Moral Majoritarian by day, sexual athle...more

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Nov 07, 2011 Eve rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: History buffs

Believe me, I was pretty embarrassed walking out of the library with a book with Larry Flynt's name on the cover, but as I got into reading it I concluded that Flynt supplied the gossip, with coauthor David Eisenbach doing the heavy lifting (research, the majority of the writing). It was pretty good, although there wasn't much new under the sun. (Having read extensively about FDR and Eleanor, absolutely nothing about it was news to me.) The early parts, about the Founding Fathers, was particular...more

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Jul 10, 2011 Ana Mardoll rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

One Nation Under Sex / 9780230120358

I didn't know quite what to expect going into this book -- I mean, the author is *Larry Flynt* and I wasn't exactly certain that it was going to be a bastion of high journalism. Well, you know what they say about assumptions; "One Nation Under Sex" is incredibly well-written, thoroughly documented, and utterly fascinating from start to finish.

"One Nation Under Sex" travels systematically through the sex lives of our nation's presidents, and uncovers quite a f...more One Nation Under Sex / 9780230120358

I didn't know quite what to expect going into this book -- I mean, the author is *Larry Flynt* and I wasn't exactly certain that it was going to be a bastion of high journalism. Well, you know what they say about assumptions; "One Nation Under Sex" is incredibly well-written, thoroughly documented, and utterly fascinating from start to finish.

"One Nation Under Sex" travels systematically through the sex lives of our nation's presidents, and uncovers quite a few interesting tidbits and stories along the way. Surprisingly, though, the sex itself is something of a tertiary focus: this book is, in many ways, really about how sex in high places has shaped the course of our country, and about the relationship between the press and the presidency. The result is a book that is fascinatingly historical and not just a "scandal for scandal's sake" gossip book, and it's impossible to not be drawn into the historical intricacies as they are explored.

One of the things I liked most about this book is that it presents everything very clearly and factually, with copious footnotes, but never with a forceful air. Even something as potentially surprising and political as the Abraham Lincoln chapter is laid out with the same candid "documentary" feel as the more tame chapters; Flynt merely lays out his viewpoint and his (compelling) evidence for Lincoln having same-sex relationships, and it's up to the reader to decide how they will personally reconcile the presented evidence with their own knowledge and beliefs. I like it a lot when a documentary lets the copious evidence speak for itself, and the entire book feels very candid -- as though the author is shooting straight and merely compiling history instead of "spinning" it.

I recommend this fascinating and engaging book for anyone. The clarity of the writing is commendable, and the decision to retain a scholarly tone instead of a "gossipy" one turns this book into a historical classic, perfect for any adult audience.

NOTE: This review is based on a free Advance Review Copy of this book provided through Amazon Vine...but I liked the ARC so much, I bought the e-book version as well.

~ Ana Mardoll(less)

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Jun 23, 2011 Catherine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Definitely an interesting read. The authors start with the founding of America and work through history up to the Clinton era to detail famous presidential sex scandals. I found that some of the arguments put forward (for example, that Lincoln was inspired to write the Emancipation Proclamation because he was allegedly homosexual) are a bit of a stretch, and consist of more hypothesis than fact. However, it was entertaining to read, and the authors make extensive use of primary sources (letters,...more

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Aug 07, 2012 EowynRN rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Historical Buffs

Recommended to EowynRN by: Goodreads Giveaway

Shelves: first-reads

I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway copy. I tend to enjoy all books having to do with sex, which you should assume this book is since it's authored by Larry Flynt of Penthouse fame. Although I read this book with Woody Haraldson's voice in my head, the book reads as informational history and sexual intrigue rather than a letter to the Penthouse forums.

You go on a journey from the founders of our country to the latest leaders such as Clinton and how their sexual conquests influenced and...more

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May 09, 2011 Jermajesty Slosky rated it 4 of 5 stars

Bought as a guilty pleasure to take my mind off my final film school project, this book proved deeply fascinating in a way i would have never expected. We're so used to viewing our country's Presidents (particularly Founding Fathers) as such one-dimensional granite statue figures that we forget that they actually lived and breathed as flesh and blood. So rather than scandalizing these politicians, this book actually served to humanize them, which was really interesting and cool and made me look...more

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Aug 07, 2012 EowynRN rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads

I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway copy. I tend to enjoy all books having to do with sex, which you should assume this book is since it's authored by Larry Flynt of Penthouse fame. Although I read this book with Woody Haraldson's voice in my head, the book reads as informational history and sexual intrigue rather than a letter to the Penthouse forums.

You go on a journey from the founders of our country to the latest leaders such as Clinton and how their sexual conquests influenced and...more

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Mar 02, 2012 Angel rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: politics and history readers

Shelves: erotica-and-sensual, history, glbtq, politics-and-political-science

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I labeled it for the "erotica and sensual" shelf because it deals with the topic of sex scandals, but it is not a risque book per se. As there are some mentions of gay and lesbian affairs, I labeled it for the "glbtq" shelf. Ok, now what we got that out of the way, let's look at the book itself.

Organized in chapters, the book provides a history of major scandals as well as affairs and peccadilloes of politicians and those who loved them. We go from colonial times to the Clinton era to our time...more I labeled it for the "erotica and sensual" shelf because it deals with the topic of sex scandals, but it is not a risque book per se. As there are some mentions of gay and lesbian affairs, I labeled it for the "glbtq" shelf. Ok, now what we got that out of the way, let's look at the book itself.

Organized in chapters, the book provides a history of major scandals as well as affairs and peccadilloes of politicians and those who loved them. We go from colonial times to the Clinton era to our time as the conclusion does bring the book close to up to date. The only reason I gave it three stars is because the prose can be a little dry at times. It is not a bad book at all, and history trivia fans will probably like it. If you enjoy reading about sex scandals, you will probably like it as well.

In the book the authors make some key points:

*Politicians are human beings. This means they are sexual beings. You cannot really remove this from the equation.

*Honestly, making a big deal of a politician's sex life is kind of a wasted effort. However, it does (seem to) have an effective use to expose hyprocrites. This is particularly significant with the current political climate in the U.S. Historically, as in recent history, the GOP positioned itself as the party of morality. Now their sins and vices are coming back to haunt them. This leads to the next point.

*The louder a moralist yells, the more likely he or she has big, ugly skeletons in their closet. If they yell the loudest, you can bet there is some sexual issue hidden there. I would say that the classic definition of a conservative as someone who fears that someone else someplace and somewhere is having a good time is accurate.

*As a nation, we need to grow the fuck up. We need to have a more European maturity when it comes to sexual matters and the private lives of politicians. This is illustrated quite nicely in the early chapter on Benjamin Franklin, where he is contrasted to John Adams, who was a prude. Some food for thought there.

So overall, this is a book worth reading. And it is a book worth discussing. And for the love of cripe, if the fact Larry Flynt is a co-author bothers you, you need to grow the hell up.
(less)

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Jun 15, 2011 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Angie, Jenny B

Shelves: non-fiction

Thoroughly enjoyed this thoughtful and only occasionally salacious history of political sex scandals dating all the way back to Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Dolley Madison. Flynt and Eisenbach make two convincing arguments about our obsession with our leaders' private lives. First, as a nation that elects its leaders (rather than inheriting them), we judge each man and woman on the basis of what we know, and one's moral character often heavily weights that decision. To follow that argumen...more

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Jul 03, 2011 Ana Mardoll rated it 5 of 5 stars

One Nation Under Sex / 9780230120358

I didn't know quite what to expect going into this book -- I mean, the author is *Larry Flynt* and I wasn't exactly certain that it was going to be a bastion of high journalism. Well, you know what they say about assumptions; "One Nation Under Sex" is incredibly well-written, thoroughly documented, and utterly fascinating from start to finish.

"One Nation Under Sex" travels systematically through the sex lives of our nation's presidents, and uncovers quite a f...more One Nation Under Sex / 9780230120358

I didn't know quite what to expect going into this book -- I mean, the author is *Larry Flynt* and I wasn't exactly certain that it was going to be a bastion of high journalism. Well, you know what they say about assumptions; "One Nation Under Sex" is incredibly well-written, thoroughly documented, and utterly fascinating from start to finish.

"One Nation Under Sex" travels systematically through the sex lives of our nation's presidents, and uncovers quite a few interesting tidbits and stories along the way. Surprisingly, though, the sex itself is something of a tertiary focus: this book is, in many ways, really about how sex in high places has shaped the course of our country, and about the relationship between the press and the presidency. The result is a book that is fascinatingly historical and not just a "scandal for scandal's sake" gossip book, and it's impossible to not be drawn into the historical intricacies as they are explored.

One of the things I liked most about this book is that it presents everything very clearly and factually, with copious footnotes, but never with a forceful air. Even something as potentially surprising and political as the Abraham Lincoln chapter is laid out with the same candid "documentary" feel as the more tame chapters; Flynt merely lays out his viewpoint and his (compelling) evidence for Lincoln having same-sex relationships, and it's up to the reader to decide how they will personally reconcile the presented evidence with their own knowledge and beliefs. I like it a lot when a documentary lets the copious evidence speak for itself, and the entire book feels very candid -- as though the author is shooting straight and merely compiling history instead of "spinning" it.

I recommend this fascinating and engaging book for anyone. The clarity of the writing is commendable, and the decision to retain a scholarly tone instead of a "gossipy" one turns this book into a historical classic, perfect for any adult audience.

NOTE: This review is based on a free Advance Review Copy of this book provided through Amazon Vine...but I liked the ARC so much, I bought the e-book version as well.

~ Ana Mardoll(less)

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Jun 03, 2011 Jeannette rated it 3 of 5 stars

Written entirely, I assume, by David Eisenbach, the Columbia University professor who shares the author billing with Larry Flynt, this doesn't dish up the most elegant prose. It does dish a wide variety of dirt on American political luminaries ranging from Ben Franklin to George HW Bush, much of which I didn't know. Perhaps most scandalous to me was the breadth and depth of information supporting the case that Abraham Lincoln was gay, and the depth of J. Edgar Hoover's depravity. I also knew lit...more

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Aug 05, 2011 Suzanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a good book although I was embarrassed to be reading something with such a salacious sounding title, particularly by a notoriously known author, Larry Flynt. I was impressed with his co-author, David Eisenbach, when I heard him on TV, however, and found the book to be well written and engaging. It is nicely documented with many notes and I found it to be a real eye opener. The lesson learned is one that young people would be well to heed, choices you make have impacts in many different...more

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Oct 03, 2012 Adriana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: giveaways

-Giveaway Review #2-
When I found that I won this book, I was incredibly excited. I grew up with an incredibly Republican father who used to be incredibly liberal, and is quite frankly a thorn in my side when it comes to understanding anything about politics, so I've always tried to stay away from politics altogether.
I've always been a person who likes to observe and soak everything in, see how little situations and ideas affect human behavior, so I've developed my own unconventional ideas about...more -Giveaway Review #2-
When I found that I won this book, I was incredibly excited. I grew up with an incredibly Republican father who used to be incredibly liberal, and is quite frankly a thorn in my side when it comes to understanding anything about politics, so I've always tried to stay away from politics altogether.
I've always been a person who likes to observe and soak everything in, see how little situations and ideas affect human behavior, so I've developed my own unconventional ideas about how I'm going to live my own life, so I can make sure I make the best objective decisions ever.
This book was an excellent first step to getting to that level of understanding human behavior, politics and avoiding falling into hypocrisy traps.
This book opened my eyes to a whole other world of lifestyle, which many of my friends and the rest of the American world is afraid of, and I've never truly understood why. It helped me understand history much better than my own history books in high school did, because it enlightened me on the true humanity and values of each historical figure. Flynt addresses how love and desire truly ran the course of history, which is an idea people only like to believe as long as it's not individually identified.
Through the course of reading this book, I've discovered many people unwilling to read this. I really recommend you do. Sex and love aren't supposed to be shameful, and Flynt's purpose in writing this will be in vain unless you don't break through that awful taboo and move on, starting with this book. And any mistakes these presidents made through these desires, it's been a decades, or even centuries since it happened. Not only will it help you feel more connected to humanity once you realize how even the highest beings can have their faults, but to see how it's not the end of the world if a politician makes a mistake- we'll make it through, as long as we look forward and remember not to repeat those mistakes.
But most of all, it teaches that a politician's ability to help our country has nothing to do whether he loves his wife, or the woman who took care of his kids; a politician's ability has nothing to do with getting blowjobs from the intern in the White House. We must remember to judge a politician on his ability and political actions alone.(less)

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Jan 13, 2013 Jarrod Walker rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads-giveaway, historical, political

I received this book as a first reads giveaway. I felt a little deceived by the title. I actually thought that the stories within the book were going to refer to decisions and policies that were shaped by the sex lives or sex scandals of our leaders past and present. Instead it was mainly about the sex lives of leaders and how those leaders dealt with the populous and press in regards to their own scandals.
The book was well written, and it was nice to get some new information not taught in hist...more

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Oct 07, 2012 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: firstreads, history, political

Historian David Eisenbach and Hustler publisher Larry Flynt teamed up to catalog what most of us already knew - men ambitious enough to make it to the presidency most likely have powerful sex drives too. Put that together with the fact that power is attractive to a lot of women, and it becomes clear that faithfulness, as seemingly found with W and Obama, is the presidential exception rather than the rule.

So now that Eisenbach and Flynt have made it abundantly clear that founding fathers, presid...more

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Dec 11, 2011 Len rated it 4 of 5 stars

What a fun and interesting book! I always knew about some of the sex scandals surrounding our presidents, but I had no idea how extensive it was. This book brings to light some very interesting scandals involving our commanders in chief, going back to the founding fathers.

Some gems: President James Buchanan was gay and in love with a slave owner from the south and this relationship hastened the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln had a history of sharing his bed with men. Dolly Madison was the nation's f...more

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May 09, 2011 carissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-nonfiction-history, adult-nonfiction

"Ben Franklin saved the American Revolution by seducing French Women. A gay love affair between President James Buchanan and Senator William King aided the secession movement. Woodrow Wilson’s girlfriend dictated his letters to the German Kaiser. And lesbian relationships inspired Eleanor Roosevelt to become a revolutionary crusader for equal rights. The colorful sex lives of America’s most powerful leaders have influenced social movements, government policies, elections and even wars, yet they...more

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Jan 07, 2012 Terry Perrel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Yep. A book by Hustler founder, Larry Flynt AND a historian from Columbia University. If you want a book to take to sperm donation, this one won't do it for you. If you want to understand how flings and flames and their repercussions affected key actions taken by U.S. Presidents and the history of the U.S., read this. I learned more history from these pages than the sum total of el-hi, college and postgrad classes that skipped Warren Harding and James Buchanan.

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Aug 05, 2011 Joyce M. Tice rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is essential reading for any historian. Most of the chapters in this book are known to many of us but almost never to the full extent. It is very revealing how the personal lives of leaders affected national and world events from the beginning of our political system to the present. We make heroes of our leaders and leaders of our heroes, and they are all just ordinary people after all. Excellent book.

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Sep 05, 2011 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: cocktail party enthusiasts, history fans

Shelves: read-in-2011, nonfiction

This is the book Bill Bryson might write if Bill Bryson were a total horndog.* I enjoyed getting a new perspective on American history. The claims seem to be well-researched, although in a few cases, the authors might have confused smoke with fire. Some of the writing was salacious in tone and overly reliant on italics, but what do you expect?

*Bryson horndog levels are currently unknown.

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May 26, 2011 Andy rated it 5 of 5 stars

this book was excellent. it is entertaining, but really does show how not understanding the sex lives of the presidents and first ladies does not give you a complete picture of history. im sure it could make some kids feel better to know that at least 2 presidents were gay. Flynt does kinda go overboard about his role in history at the end though. i had no idea Harding was such a pimp.

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Jun 02, 2011 Cole Oberndorfer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Great book full of interesting, informative, and often hilarious historical anecdotes. Overall it appeared very thoroughly researched and provided some amazing background on American history. The only downside was in the closing chapters when Larry Flynt, as always, felt the need to pontificate and throw his personal agenda in to the mix for no reason. Aside from the detour from facts an interesting and engaging read.

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Aug 18, 2011 Kimberly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Very well written and interesting. I'm not Larry Flynt's target audience for most of his publications, but I was intrigued by this book when I first heard about it. It exceeded all of my expectations.

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Dec 01, 2012 Gene rated it 3 of 5 stars

Learned a lot from this book about the sex lives of our Presidents and other politicians. Definitely you'll learn some things that they didn't teach us in grade school...

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May 08, 2011 Julie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Kind of a riot, this book. I'd always wondered about our "bachelor president"!

Basically, the more I read history, the more I realize that not much has really changed.

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Mar 04, 2012 Oran rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was a very good read about the hypocritical ways of our government through out history and how sex scandals has played a major role in policy making.

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Nov 03, 2011 Eddie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

A very interesting book. Lots and lots of information about presidential infidelities an peccadilloes. The book is heavily researched but you would have to go to primary sources
To check all facts out. The chapters on JFK and Jackie and FDR and Eleanor are quite fantastic.

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Jun 04, 2013 Jerry rated it 5 of 5 stars

Great perspective and information on American presidential and political history. Very well done and certainly worth the read.

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Jul 06, 2011 Jesse rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: didntfinish, nonfiction, adultbooks

Eh. Could not get into this one...didn't like the tone of the writing and hated the lack of proof about some of the claims made.

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Jul 14, 2011 Travis Smith rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a very interesting book. I never really thought about the sex lives of presidents before and how it really can affect history. Some of the things are somewhat hard to believe and I’m not sure I fully do believe them now but it is something to think about. The book is well researched and has plenty of supporting evidence. Towards the end with the Clinton scandal I got a little bored it didn’t feel like to me it was written the same as the rest of the book, but other then that I really en...more

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