City of Sin: London and its Vices

Catharine Arnold's London #3

by Catharine Arnold

If Paris is the city of love, then London is the city of lust. For over a thousand years, England's capital has been associated with desire, avarice and the sins of the flesh. Richard of Devises, a monk writing in 1180, warned that 'every quarter [of the city] abounds in great obscenities'. As early as the second century AD, London was notorious for its raucous festivities and disorderly houses, and throughout the centuries the bawdy side of life has taken easy root and flourished.

In the third book of her fascinating London trilogy, award-winning popular historian Catharine Arnold turns her gaze to the city's relationship with vice through the ages. From the bath houses and brothels of Roman Londinium, to the stews and Molly houses of the 17th and 18th centuries, London has always traded in the currency of sex. Whether pornographic publishers on Fleet Street, or fancy courtesans parading in Haymarket, its streets have long been witness to colourful sexual behaviour.

In her usual accessible and entertaining style, Arnold takes us on a journey through the fleshpots of London from earliest times to present day. Here are buxom strumpets, louche aristocrats, popinjay politicians and Victorian flagellants - all vying for their place in London's league of licentiousness. From sexual exuberance to moral panic, the city has seen the pendulum swing from Puritanism to hedonism and back again. With latter chapters looking at Victorian London and the sexual underground of the 20th century and beyond, this is a fascinating and vibrant chronicle of London at its most raw and ribald.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, London, Sexuality, Historical, British Literature, Research

Kindle Edition

First published August 5, 2010

About the author

Catharine Arnold read English at Cambridge and holds a further degree in psychology. A journalist, academic and popular historian, Catharine's previous books include the novel "Lost Time", winner of a Betty Trask award. Her London trilogy for Simon & Schuster comprises of "Necropolis: London and Its Dead", "Bedlam: London and Its Mad" and "City of Sin: London and Its Vices".

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

England swings like a pendulum do *

It seems that London was once a writhing cesspool of filth, corruption and sexy, sexy sex, and everyone who was anyone had syphilis. Arnold's account makes everything that "stays in Vegas" look tame by comparison.

From medieval bath house hijinks - to the sixties' Profumo affair - most of the history seems to swirl around the staggering amount of money to be made by the selling of sex.

I think everything is summed up nicely by John Wilmot, Second Earl of Rochester in his poem "The Debauchee":

(Note - due to salacious content, I've hidden it as a spoiler. To be viewed only by those over 18, or the intensely curious.)

I rise at eleven, I dine at two
I get drunk before seven and the next thing I do
Is send for my Whore, when, for Fear of the Clap
I come in her Hand and spew in her Lap.
Then we Quarrel and scold til I fall fast asleep,
When the Bitch growing bold, to my Pocket doth creep;
She slyly then leaves me - and to Revenge my Affront
At once she bereaves me of money and cunt.
I storm and I roar and I fall in a Rage.
And, missing my Whore, I bugger my Page.




*Roger Miller

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm finding it a little tough to write about this one, because I'm not sure exactly what didn't work for me. I can draw a rough circle around it, but pinpointing seems to be beyond me at the moment. Maybe because I'm not a historian. (Worth noting, I can clearly identify the parts I did enjoy.)

This is a book entirely about sex! Sex throughout history in a specific geographical location! I have always liked reading about sex, and the history of sex, and here's a whole book about it. The book, despite certain language used, also doesn't disparage sex work or sex workers, and does a pretty good job portraying sex workers who were cunning and successful and parlayed their work into eventual retirement or wealth. It is a very comprehensive overview of sex work in London from the Roman Empire to the early 2000's (it was published in 2009).

There's where it loses me a bit. This book isn't so much a history of sex as it is a history of sex work and the sex trade, from brothels through the ages, who controlled it during various times, famous sex workers (she uses the word prostitute throughout and also the vernacular of the time she's talking about, which often includes words like "whore"). Peppered throughout is a little bit of sex as vice or crime, with some history of pornography and homosexuality, always only where it intersects with the law (illegal molly houses, the trial of Oscar Wilde).

I left this book feeling unsure just how sex positive the author was, for a sex historian, and also, wishing she had found a way to write about sexuality in general among the populace, and not in relation to the sex trade, or sex as a commodity. Or at least acknowledge why she wasn't doing that, i.e. a lack of sources.

This wasn't a waste of time, but I do think it wasn't exactly what I was hoping it would be.

Read Harder Challenge 2022: Read a history about a period you know little about.

[Dorin Lazăr · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sometimes interesting, sometimes insightful and sometimes boring dive into the life of prostitutes in London since the roman times of Londinium until the recent times of Belle du Jour. Unfortunately, as the topic is quite vast, one cannot expect an exhaustive dive into the topic; sometimes you get the feeling that Catharine Arnold stretches the topic needlessly while at other times, the topic is brushed off fast, to move on to the next thing.

So the book is, in the end, inconsistent; but I think it's a strong starting point for anyone exploring the topic of attitudes towards sex of a particular city, but the subject is rushed especially when it comes to the victorian times and onwards. The lack of focus and sometimes the repetitive prose can become quite tedious, and at times I felt the need to skip some pages. The Tudors are dealt with in detail, albeit in a repetitive manner, while I think that the Victorian age and the XXth century are rushed, incomplete, and would have deserved a lot more. But that would've transformed a 300 pages book in a 1000 pages tome which probably would've been impractical (and predictably boring). The structure, the chapters themselves, are rarely consistent, as sometimes they span centuries while other times they treat a certain trait of an age.

I like the fact that there are no pre-drawn conclusions; the author is trying to keep a scientists' distance from the things she discusses in the book, and that makes things better. At the same time the reading can be fun - some „adventures” are detailed and explained in a clear, clean manner. Also I think that the big number of references is helpful for anyone interested in finding out more about the things discussed in the book. All in all an enjoyable read.

[Orsolya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sex, sex, sex. From prostitutes to pornography, from orgies to lewd sex acts… today’s vices are not ‘new’ by any means. This coarse world has always been center-stage in human civilization since the dawn of man and heavily-recorded starting with the Roman Empire. The city of London has never shied away from its obsession with carnal desire even during the restricted Victorian period. Pop historian Catharine Arnold explores the sex history of London in, “The Sexual History of London: From Roman Londonium to the Swinging City – Lust, Vice, and Desire Across the Ages”.

Arnold’s “The Sexual History of London” is a pop history romp attempting to overview the bawdy side of England’s capital throughout the ages. By no means is this meant to be an all-inclusive, exhaustive academic piece but rather a saucy and entertaining expose and introduction to the topic. The outline of “The Sexual History of London” follows a chronological study which helps the reader grasp and value the material. Arnold pumps a lot of pack into her punch and instantly bombards with information/facts.

This, however, can become clunky and cluttered, at times, as Arnold comes off almost over-eager. The text/thesis isn’t always clear and Arnold’s direction is often muddled. “The Sexual History of London” is a bit ‘too much’ and certainly needs a strong editing job. That being said, “The Sexual History of London” is still quite readable, accessible, and moves with a firm pace.

Although it is clear that Arnold conducted ample research; her writing-style is concise but not dry or scholarly. The issue arising with this is one of fact-checking… Arnold states incorrect ‘facts’ and makes misrepresentations with conviction that A) any English history aficionado can validate as incorrect and B) isn’t properly sourced. Arnold is a bit off her base. Plus, she also has the tendency to make flowery statements with no place in a history piece such as, “Elizabeth peacocked about like a drag queen, surrounded by her coterie of mincing ministers”. This flashy-statement is better suited for a historical-fiction piece.

Some readers may find it off-putting that Arnold insists on occasionally personally commenting the text a la, “In this chapter, we will discuss…” and “Next, we move to…” This writing style is slightly amateur and unnecessary.

The latter chapters of “The Sexual History of London” intrigue in the sense of focusing on more contemporary case studies such as Jack the Ripper and scandals from the 80s. Yet, even within this, Arnold manages to be repetitive and the pace of “The Sexual History of London” slackens and loses its tautness. The piece feels distracted and as though Arnold simply drags out the text needlessly.

“The Sexual History of London” enlists occasional photos and illustrations, supplementing the text (no photo plates, though).

Sadly, the concluding chapter of “The Sexual History of London” fails to either summarize the book or take a strong look at the current and/or future sexual state of the city of London. Consequentially, this results in a weak ending lacking any memorable points. Arnold does include a bibliography highlighting some source materials but no annotated notes.

Arnold’s “The Sexual History of London” is a colorful romp on the subject matter but serves only as an introduction and pop history. The text/content is a bit clumsy and highly repetitive thus not necessarily being scholarly or an emotional read. “The Sexual History of London” is recommended for readers interested in a middle-grade read on the subject matter to all things sex in London but don’t expect a ground-breaking work.

[Rob Atkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tales of debauchery! This is a very entertaining look at the underground (and sometimes right out in the open) sexual history of London, from Roman Londinium to the modern era. In its 2000 years of existence, London has seen it all, and there are many surprises here. The first chapter on Roman London suffers a bit from an apparent lack of local evidence, and so it includes a lot of speculation based on generalities of urban life in the empire, and the extreme depravity of the Caesars which she cites as setting a social standard in Britannia (questionable). However, the account becomes much more lively and detailed with the second chapter on Medieval London, and remains fascinating to the end. Some of the accounts almost defy belief. Every stripe of sexuality, every kink, and every variety of commercial sex seem to be well documented from that early period onwards, and there's much to surprise even a well-read lay English historian. Many famous names figure in the telling, and the stories of their secret sex lives will amaze you. Famous crimes and scandals also are detailed, including the stories of Jack the Ripper, the trials of Oscar Wilde, the Profumo affair; but others less well known today are equally fascinating. Highly recommended to those interested in social history, especially its underground/criminal side -- or for anyone who enjoys a good titillating read.

[Jill H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

With such a titillating title, the reader might want to use a book cover when reading it in public! However, this is a serious look at the sex trade in London from the time that it was called Londinium and the Romans brought their camp followers to Britain until modern times and the use of the internet for advertising.
London had more prostitutes than any city in the 17th-19th centuries. Poverty was rampant and girls had to "go on the game" to survive. Of course, there were the high class ladies who had a wealthy protector who supported them and who retired with property and riches. But the majority of the working girls were pathetic, dirty and disease ridden and seldom lived past age 35. There were periods when the authorities cracked down on the profession and there were times when it was basically ignored as the government had economic issues which took precedence. At one time the penalty for homosexuality was death but usually a blind eye was turned to that particular form of "vice". The hypocrisy of the Victorians, fueled by the myth of "white slavery", was spectacular; those who availed themselves of the services of the prostitutes were also the ones who were heading up committees to stamp it out.
This is an interesting social study of the "victimless" crime where the only victims were the girls who were forced into the street to avoid dying of starvation.

[Roxana Chirilă · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading K.J. Charles's tremendously fun historical gay romance novel, "Unfit to print", I wanted nothing more than to find out more about Victorian pornography and prostitution. Luckily, I had Catharine Arnold's "City of Sin: London and Its Vices" in my library, so I dived into it.

"City of Sin" is a 333-page description of (mostly) prostitution in London, starting from Roman times and ending in about 2009. (the book itself is a bit longer, however, due to the references at the end) And that would be great, but there isn't enough room to cover things in detail, so it can be a bit hard to truly feel the differences in lifestyle between various ages.

In short, prostitutes tended to be accepted today, shunned tomorrow, their services were sought out even while they were blamed for the spread of venereal disease, they could earn a lot or barely get by, and the higher up in the hierarchy they were, the more likely they were not to be prosecuted for their profession. Flagellation became a popular English kink at some point (the 18th c., perhaps?), especially for the upper classes.

The book is a bit unbalanced - the Romans go by in the blink of an eye, but the 18th and 19th get about 200 pages, after which history moves forward at high speed again, when we get to hear a few sex scandals from the beginning of the 20th century instead of prostitution at large; the current day goes by in another blink of an eye.

At first, I was happy to see there are pictures in it, but after a while it felt as if some of the pictures were random - we get a photo of Marie Stopes, "birth control pioneer" and author of "one of the first sex manuals" (according to the caption), but we often only get descriptions of famous images, with the author telling us what is going on in them. (I had to resort to the internet for those)

While I'm not entirely sure all the information here is accurate (indeed, Oscar Wilde's death is listed as taking place in 1901, instead of 1900), and while it feels like there are many gaps, Catharine Arnold writes a compelling book, especially if you don't try to read it all at once. It's fun, it offers a broad view of the subject, it has a few interesting cases and details and it's easy to read.

[Dfordoom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catherine Arnold’s City of Sin: London and its Vices is an entertaining history of the sex industry in London.

Arnold takes us back as far as Roman times, and is concerned mostly with prostitution although pornography is dealt with in passing. She encompasses every level of prostitution in her story, from the humbles streetwalkers to the most expensive and successful courtesans like Nell Gwyn and Skittles.

The author does her best to give her subject matter an even-handed treatment. She doesn’t gloss over the unpleasantness of life for those at the bottom of the heap of the profession although she makes it clear that quite often it was the most attractive of a range of not terribly good options. And she also doesn’t deny that for those at the top life could be very sweet indeed. Catherine Walters (known popularly as Skittles) was a major celebrity of the Victorian era and died a very wealthy woman in her luxury London townhouse at an advanced age. For courtesans like Skittles the wages of sin were very lucrative indeed.

To her credit the author also doesn’t attempt to demonise the clients of prostitutes.

Those who come off worst in this history are the short-sighted and often very creepy moral reformers whose efforts generally end up making life worse for those they claim to be trying to protect. The Victorian journalist and self-appointed moral guardian W. T. Stead being a case in point and it’s pleasing to be able to report that he came to a bad end.

An entertaining piece of social history and definitely worth seeking out.

[Filli · Rating 3 out of 5]

You should read this if you want a short introduction to the darker side of London. Arnold is entertaining, but not a historian by any means. The tales she tells are interesting, although she does seem to like picking out the ones that will shock her readers the most. She has no cohesive argument. She flip flops from protitution to homosexuality (although she barely touches lesbianism), and the last few pages or so of the book are completely pointless. She simply isn't able to fit 2000 years of history in less than 400 pages. Oh, and don't even get me started on the countless anachronisms she uses. Is she a historian? No. More like a history enthusiast.

[G. Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, interesting, well-written, non-judgemental.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written with an easy style that informs as well as entertains, City of Sin is an eagle-eyed view of the English branch of the world’s oldest profession through the ages, from the first girls brought in chains to our shores for the sport of the Romans, right up to modern sex workers advertising on the internet, scoring publishing deals and causing the Daily Mail to work themselves into self-righteous froths.

Taking in those who chose to enter the profession as well as those forced into in through one means or another, from the poorest street walker to the semi-celebrity kept mistresses and courtesans as well as the pimps, bawds and others making money from them, this is a fascinating trip through the ages and the changing attitudes towards sex. Eye-opening and, at times, eye-watering details (such as when contemplating the ancient condoms carved from tortoiseshell that the Chinese apparently had to endure) all paint a vivid picture of a city with a voracious sexual appetite, as do some of the wonderful names of those serving that appetite, as in the delightful case of Clara la Clatterballock.

Also tracking the many hypocritical attempts by the authorities during the ages to shut the trade down while continuing to avail themselves of the mind boggling array of different types of prostitutes that served the city, City of Sin also serves as a good snapshot of the ways in which those in power have always held themselves above the laws and morality they sought to impose on the lower classes, many of which massively increased the dangers faced by those that sell their bodies.

City of Sin one of a number of books that Catharine Arnold has written on different aspects of London’s history. I’ve already read Necropolis and Bedlam, on how London has dealt with its dead and its mad through the ages, and still have Underworld and its criminal side waiting on my shelves. If you’re at all interested in London and its history but want something easy-going enough to read on holiday, you could do a lot worse than spending some time in Arnold’s company.

**Also posted at Cannonball Read 9**

[Sammi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the style of writing of this, however I was a bit disappointed. I thought this book was going to more than the history of prostitution and written 'erotica', but no, it appears to be p much only that. I really thought it'd touch on a whole lot of other stuff as 'vice' is a pretty broad word. There is so, so, so much more interesting stuff that was left out, drugs, alcoholism, crime, etc but it only seems to explore these things, if at all, with the different types of prostitutes. It's also quite late 18th century-19th century focused, which I can understand because a lot of this requires evidence, but still, bit of a shame, and unfortunately it causes it to become a bit repetitive.

[Honey · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining take on London's salacious history spanning from 9AD to the twenty first century. There's a lot to take on here, but what resonated more for me is not necessarily about how the oldest profession has affected one of the oldest cities in the world. but how social injustices affected our ideologies surrounding sex.

There are fascinating snippets of history, that often reflect the narrative of today, and it's amusing to reflect how more open the city is now towards sex and sexuality. However, it's even more amusing that there are still very many things that have not changed, ie why people succumb to prostitution, underground sex parties, politicians having affairs... plus ça change, plus c'est la même after all.

Fun read.

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a bit shocked that I enjoyed this so much being that this is the history of sex work in London. For as long as London have existed it also have been both women and men working as prostitutes, being the oldest profferson and all. It was quite the interesting book and there was a lot of peculiar facts sprinkled in. Must read other books by Catharine Arnold now as I think she is a very talented non fiction writer.

[Florin Pitea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting. Onwards to the next book in the series, now.

[MissInfo]

i must be an easy sell...I added this to my list of "curious about" books purely because of the following description:
"Arnold takes us on a journey through the fleshpots of London from earliest times to present day. Here are buxom strumpets, louche aristocrats, popinjay politicians, and Victorian flagellants—all vying for their place in London’s league of licentiousness."

strumpets. that is all.

(ps: "curious about" is subtext for "probably not")

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informative look into prostitutes and the men partake in what they have to offer. Starting in Roman rulled Londinium through the reigns of the British monarchs and into the world wars.

[Alison Hamel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won an advance copy of this book on goodreads. I hoped to have a chance to finish it before its release date, and I'm happy to say I did; it was hard to put down once I started. As a former English major and slight British history fanatic, I enjoyed the trip from medieval London to modern times. Arnold does a fantastic job of providing salacious details that hold the pleasure reader's attention and writing in a manner that is easy to read, all the while remaining historical by citing her sources (many of which I now want to read too). I thought I would become less interested as the book progressed, since modern history tends to bore me, but Arnold held my attention. She seems to focus heavily on female prostitution throughout the ages, though she intertwines stories of the sexual escapades of both famous Britains and those who are relatively unknown to the general population. Overall, a great introduction to the sexual history of London that left me wanting to know more about the topic.

[E. Amato · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a lot of great information here, but Arnold is no Peter Ackroyd. Though she paces the book at light speed, the material is organized chronologically which means a great deal of repetition and circling back on subjects. The emphasis of the book - based on percentage of material - is on the female sex worker. While there is a lot of information here, this has all been covered before, and Arnold's unnecessary and often inconsistent editorializing gets in the way. The case studies feel cobbled together and don't always bolster each other. In general, transitions are not Arnold's strong point. It's not a particularly sexy read; it feels more like a PhD thesis on steroids, or an attempt to cash in on research done for a novel by collecting it into a volume. However, the information is there - collected in order, in one book - so if you're looking for a source, this is a solid one. With a title like The Sexual History of London, one imagines it will have a great shelf life.

[Marguerite Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look at London through the eyes of its many and varied sex workers through the ages, which was at times repellent, at times hilarious, sometimes simply sad, but always fascinating. From Roman times, when the army brought its first accompanying prostitutes, right up to present day, Ms Arnold covers a galaxy of characters and tastes, punters and providers, the many attempts which have been made to control them, and the cases, both positive and negative, which those laws brought to court. There's lots of facts and lots of colour, lots of examples and you know what, it's left me feeling extremely ambivalent. I have to admire the men and women who so determinedly ply their trade, and there's a bit of me that thinks, way to go, it is sort of empowering. But then the reality - no, that's not positive at all. This book has made me think lots, and it's given me lots of ideas. There's another two in the series, and I'll definitely be seeking them out.

[Berita · Rating 2 out of 5]

After having read "Underworld London - Crime and punishment in the capital city" by the same author, I decided I wanted to read more books written by her. And so I did. Sins are not that big a step from crime, and so I was intrigued to read a bit more of the vices in old London.

Started off OK, but rapidly went boring. And stayed boring. Topic was all right, mostly about sex, prostitution and how sex can be used as a way to get either powerful, or downright poor, sick and / or dead. It could have been so much more interesting to read if the book hadn't been so - prattling. And messed up in its writing. Going back and forth, hither and thither, rattling off and generally being hard to keep up the interest.

I actually just skipped the last chapter of utter boredom. Now I'm not sure if I bother to read another book by Arnold, though I must say the one about London and its dead have caught my interest - yet again.

This book however, I will not recommend - nor read again.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up at a used book store because of the title and cover (although we are urged not to judge a book by its cover, of course we all do!). This was an interesting history of London from Roman times until the present giving details of the underside of life. Catharine Arnold has apparently already written about London's insane and London's dead and this apparently completes the trilogy. Having just read The Infidel Stain by M.J. Carter, a novel that involves one of characters making his living as a pornographer in Victorian London it was interesting to read the actual history of the many printers who followed this line of work as well as learning more about Henry Mayhew who used the power of the press to fight for many of London's underclass. As this is nonfiction it doesn't read as fast as a novel but it definitely keeps you reading.

[Kelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

I guess my expectations for this book were incorrect. I was hoping it would cover more of the history of perversions - what has been considered perverse across the ages, how our perceptions have changed, etc. But this book was primarily just a history of prostitution, which I didn't find to be largely different from one era to the next. At least not different enough for me to notice & be interested in the differences - as someone who doesn't have much of a base interest in that area of sexual history. The end of the book picked up speed a little with a brief section on Jack the Ripper and a chapter on homosexuality, but it couldn't really make up for how bored I'd been while trudging through the prior nine chapters.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fantastically entertaining book from Catharine Arnold. Her London specific histories are always both fascinating and educational.

Going from Roman London to the 21st Century the book leaves no stone unturned in the search for interesting facts about sex (mostly illicit) in what is, arguably, the world's most fascinating city.

It was interesting, for instance, to discover that one Victorian man donated his collection of over 15,000 pornographic books to the British Museum, thereby starting what is now considered one of the finest collections of Victorian erotica in the world.

Humourous, thought provoking, but never vulgar, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in social history, or the history of London.

[Carolynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unevenly paced, with rather more attention paid to the exceptions than the rules, and focusing rather too excessively on the 16th to 18th centuries. I for one should have appreciated a closer look at the Roman and contemporary periods. Far from demystifying sex work, I fear that Arnold’s book paints a too-glossy veneer onto the industry. While an enjoyable and colourful read, it rings just as hollow as Joleen Zanuzoski’s ‘Social Analysis of Sex-For-Sale in Modern Singapore’ (2006).

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

More appropriately titled A History of Prostitution in London.

It's very clear the author did extensive research on the subject and I applaud how well she was able to abbreviate all of that information for this book and write without judgement. I also think she did a great job keeping the tone fairly light despite the subject matter. It was surprisingly a fairly entertaining read.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Well researched historical background with many details, authors, prositutes and other more or less prominent characters from the age of Romans up to the present time. I only missed some more caricatures or illustrations in this exhaustive research. Otherwise it was extremely insightful. Very recommended!

[Blogs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remember when Metacritic used to do books? Go to bookscores.blogspot.com to see a makeshift metacritic for books. AND LIKE THIS COMMENT SO IT CAN GET NOTICED!!!!!!!

[Agnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A broad description of London's sex life throughout the ages. Great for a first-timer in the topic.

[Thea · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, flirty little tome. I had bought this years ago when I was planning to do a PhD in Victorian history with a focus on sexual history, so it was clearly straight up my alley. Now, I had no illusions then about this book being an appropriate historical book, of course, but figured it would be a good place to start. Those PhD plans came to naught (thankfully) but while at my parents' house for the holidays I spied this on my bookshelf and decided to actually read it. And it was a perfect companion on my train ride from Boston to DC.

First, this is actually a book about prostitution, with some forays into queer sex history, a delightful chapter on pornography/erotica, and the general sexual mores of the time. That is not a criticism by any stretch of the imagination. I think it would be quite difficult to write a book on any other aspect of pre-Victorian sexuality, given that there are likely to be very few records that would talk about sex between married people (or unmarried people, for that matter). Furthermore, it's a book about urban sexuality, so it's going to be even more focused on prostitution.

Catharine Arnold is a deeply sex positive person, which I obviously enjoyed. She writes with a jocular, irreverent tone and is clearly deeply critical of Victorian morality and its dramatic impact on modern sexual mores (spoiler alert: they are pretty much the same). While I think she does tend to breeze over the more unsavory parts of sex work, I do appreciate that her core thesis is one of women having sexual agency and of dismantling our long held view that all urban prostitutes were dirty, drunken, miserable wretches mumbling to men on the street for a quickie up against a wall. Normalizing sex work and recognizing that it is an essential and extremely common profession is crucial to both eliminating sex trafficking and to ensuring that all parties are consenting, have access to the health care they need, and have the opportunity to avail themselves of the normal criminal and justice resources as is their right. Her depictions of prostitutes who go in and out of prostitution to support themselves and their families as needed and being able to live successful and happy lives is a crucial one. We tar women who have engaged in sex work as though they were forever tainted by what is a necessary and omnipresent profession. Why do we draw such a strict line between this profession and any other that relies on human physical labor? The answer, to me, has always been very clear -- because women's bodies are not their own. A sex worker is the equivalent of a coal miner. They both use their bodies to do necessary, grueling, and hazardous work. They should be treated with the same dignity and respect.

In any case, I could write a book of a similar size to Ms. Arnold's on that very subject, but it's been done before by much more able writers. Onto the subject of Ms. Arnold's book itself: it's a fun book. It's well-researched in the sense that she lists the many secondary sources and handful of Victorian primary sources she consulted in the writing of it. Her style is easy and friendly, although occasionally quite dated when referring to trans people (which is not unexpected, given that it was written in 2010 and the trans movement has only really taken off in the past five years into the mainstream). She is adamant and persuasive in her principle tenet that sex has always been "extreme". By that, I mean that what we think is progressive or groundbreaking now has already definitely happened. People liked getting spanked and whipped in the 10th century just as much as they do today. People were fluid with their sexuality in the 17th century as much as they are today. People were just as voracious with their love of pornography in the 19th century as they are today. We have been fed a certain perspective of sexuality that is straight out of uptight Victorian reformers but that is a lie. People are and always have been freaky kinks and that is the most beautiful thing I can think of in the whole world.