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The Leatherman's Handbook: Golden Anniversary Edition
The underground classic that has changed lives for 50 years is back!
Originally published in 1972, The Leatherman’s Handbook opened doors to a world that had previously been seen only in the shadows. For the first time, a reference book captured the who, what, where, why, and how of Leather--backed up by racy descriptions that put all of the technical details into sweaty, sexy narratives. The book was a lifeline for men who felt outcast from the societies they existed in.
By the time the Millennium Edition was released in 2000 to celebrate the book’s Silver Jubilee, the world had changed because of “the catastrophe”—AIDS. Townsend's comments and annotations are preserved to show how much and how quickly the world changed for him and his audience. Original pen-and-ink illustrations were added, and mail-order catalogs for Townsend's other books filled the back pages. Although the societal pressures had shifted, the political marginalization reached a new tone alongside the devastation wrought by a mysterious virus.
This Golden Anniversary edition, with special cover by artist Ego Rodriguez, will celebrate the ways the world has changed—yet again. Townsend himself “As for myself, I suppose I should look forward to the Golden Jubilee, by which time I hope the health crisis will be long gone and we will have been able to revert back to some of the behavior I so blithely described twenty-five years ago.” Perhaps the community has reached such a point--but old dangers with new faces now plague suppression, isolation, fear, and misunderstanding.
The Leatherman's Handbook has opened doors for generations of Leatherfolk--and is now available once more for the next generations of the Leather community.
Originally published in 1972, The Leatherman’s Handbook opened doors to a world that had previously been seen only in the shadows. For the first time, a reference book captured the who, what, where, why, and how of Leather--backed up by racy descriptions that put all of the technical details into sweaty, sexy narratives. The book was a lifeline for men who felt outcast from the societies they existed in.
By the time the Millennium Edition was released in 2000 to celebrate the book’s Silver Jubilee, the world had changed because of “the catastrophe”—AIDS. Townsend's comments and annotations are preserved to show how much and how quickly the world changed for him and his audience. Original pen-and-ink illustrations were added, and mail-order catalogs for Townsend's other books filled the back pages. Although the societal pressures had shifted, the political marginalization reached a new tone alongside the devastation wrought by a mysterious virus.
This Golden Anniversary edition, with special cover by artist Ego Rodriguez, will celebrate the ways the world has changed—yet again. Townsend himself “As for myself, I suppose I should look forward to the Golden Jubilee, by which time I hope the health crisis will be long gone and we will have been able to revert back to some of the behavior I so blithely described twenty-five years ago.” Perhaps the community has reached such a point--but old dangers with new faces now plague suppression, isolation, fear, and misunderstanding.
The Leatherman's Handbook has opened doors for generations of Leatherfolk--and is now available once more for the next generations of the Leather community.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1972
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 22, 2022
Best intro to the gay leather scene in the 70s and 80s.
August 25, 2009
Originally published back in the 70's, and reprinted throughout the 80's when gay bars were dark and seedy by default and not because they had to have the the light on for health and safety reasons and before the mass culling and bleating of political correctness of the 90's put an end to individuality.
I fist bought and read it 28 years ago and although it is dated now in some of its original ideas this silver jubilee edition is still an enjoyable read if only for nostalgic reasons.
I fist bought and read it 28 years ago and although it is dated now in some of its original ideas this silver jubilee edition is still an enjoyable read if only for nostalgic reasons.
October 18, 2022
I read this eons ago and should give it another read. Good guide to history though a lot of the information could be considered dated these days.
April 20, 2009
When Larry died I wanted to do some research into his life, and thus read his most famous work. I had to go find this artifact from leather history in the second hand section of a small porn store in the castro. Reading it is definitely liable to give someone with a 70's leather fag scene fetish something jerk off to for many, many a night. He intermixes porn writing (for which he was also known) and "real" stories with all his chapters. The writing was admirable and a total love letter to his community, a highly organized underground replete with a US listing so people could find someone in their state. It gave information about safety (though AIDS had not hit yet, so any mention of safer sex would be in later editions), talked about consent, talked about substance use, and gave people valuable information on how to execute their fantasies while also validating them, celebrating them. Things I could have done without were the intense naturalization of gender, replete with descriptions of reading pain tolerance based on tumescence levels in a cock. The racial fetishization/racism was disturbing, and far too expected. There was also a certain amount of military machismo and desire for organization and protocol in the scene that the contemporary queer BDSM scene tends to reject, and for good reason. There is also a somewhat sloppy dealing with consent and sexual assault/rape scenes that could have used some more thoughtful writing. In grand total, an important piece of leather history, and an opportunity for young queer perverts to see some of the people we came from, from bringing us to this moment when we can read the handbook and ignore the rules there within.
August 1, 2015
Townend's book is a classic read for the leather community and anyone wanting to learn about the history of leather in the gay community should start with this book. The Handbook gives the reader a glimpse back in time to where it all started. It is a MUST read to understand the leather lifestyle.
Even though the Handbook gives the history of gay leather, there is a plethora of information to be learned from Townsend's experience regardless of the reader's sexual orientation or preference.
Even though the Handbook gives the history of gay leather, there is a plethora of information to be learned from Townsend's experience regardless of the reader's sexual orientation or preference.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews