The Leatherman's Handbook

by Larry Townsend, Jack Fritscher (Introduction), Victor Terry (Introduction)

The Leatherman's Handbook was Number 46 on Lambda Book Report's end-of-the-millenium list of 100 Gay & Lesbian Books that changed our lives.

"...Leatherman's Handbook was an immediate cult classic when it first came out in 1972. Its publication was the first step in bringing leather sex into the open in the gay world. Its instant popularity proved just how interested men were in this previously taboo subject." - John Preston, 1993

"What L.T. offers in the Handbook are principles learned through years of experience in the SM playing field, and he invites you to agree or disagree with his ideas and conclusions...a pioneering work in gay SM." - Victor Terry, 1997

"The groundbreaking 1972 publication of Larry Townsend's Leatherman's Handbook is as remarkable a construct as Stonewall itself, because it was a declaration of independence for 'anatomically Correct' homomasculinity." - Jack Fritscher, 1996

NB: The author states in 'Epilogue for a New Millenium' (p. 275) that the first printing of the Silver Jubilee Edition in 1997 was "handled very badly" by his publisher and that the books were nearly all remaindered.

Genres: BDSM, Sexuality, LGBT, Nonfiction, M M Romance, Queer, Research

284 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

Reviews

[Liam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best intro to the gay leather scene in the 70s and 80s.

[Squaddiebear · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Brooks Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Lex · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Brenda Cothern · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.