Gentlemen's Clubs of London

by Anthony Lejeune

On its first publication in 1979, Lejeune's The Gentlemen's Clubs of London rapidly established itself as a widely sought-after and quoted work around the world among those intrigued by and participating in the rarefied world of the famous clubs of London society. This is a new, thoroughly updated edition.This book lays forth the histories of the clubs, why and how each came into being, who belongs and belonged to which, how members are chosen, and how the clubs have changed down the generations - if indeed they have. This work tells of the ambience and grace of the clubs, their privacies and eccentricities, and of the yarns, disputes and scandals to which they have given rise. Here are new and archival photographs of the clubs' interiors, ranging from the elegant to the snug, premises which are sometimes secret and quirky and sometimes grand, each unique and fitting the character and contributing to the needs and lives of its members.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Reference, London

320 pages, Hardcover

First published July 19, 1979

Reviews

[DW · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a book that churns out the same inside joke where poverty is the punchline for 100+ pages. To mix it up, there is the occasional shrug at the monstrous sexism that pervades the direct quotes from 'hallowed' club members. Maybe if you just focused on the glossy photos of the interior architecture it would be okay. Even though I expected some naval-gazing at club culture from the start, the self-congratulatory nature of the book towards the landed elite was nauseating to me. If only it hadn't been so smug, but what was I expecting? I suppose I had hoped to hear about insightful moments in history as seen from inside these secret rooms, but apparently there was only time for club culture and being bored with being rich; history is just something to comment on as it passes by the window. My mistake, really.

[Stevie Carroll · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would love to own a copy of this book; however even the updated edition from 2012 is potentially outside my price range on abebooks, so I'll have to keep borrowing it from the library at regular intervals. It's the combination of beautiful photos, quotes from literature and the tales of the clubs themselves that I can't resist. It's also a very large book, which makes casual reading rather tricky. One of those reference tomes that should reside on every coffee table.