Fanny and Stella: The Young Men Who Shocked Victorian England
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.96 (705 Votes) |
| Asin | : | B00A9MOAL4 |
| Format Type | : | |
| Number of Pages | : | 487 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2013-12-14 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
"Historical fact written like compelling fiction" according to PW. This is a much under served area of history - and this book approaches the narrative in the spirit that these 'ladies' lived their lives: highly dramatic, fun and light to read, but with a fascinating and shocking expose of the sexual attitudes (and ignorance of sexual practices) o. "Entertaining and.interesting" according to knitfelt. Well worth reading for its insights, the author`s witty style makes what could be a dour look into a famous Victorian court case almost fun to read. At same time, the pathos of the situation two young transvestites find themselves is never given short shrift. This is popular histor. Antonia said I Love These Fascinating Footnotes From History. Until I saw a review of Neil McKenna's book, I confess I had never even heard of Fanny and Stella. Certainly, if a novelist had invented them, readers would have been hardpressed to believe that such flamboyant, extravagant, larger than life characters would have dared to behave th
He is the author of two ground-breaking books about male homosexuality and Aids in the developing world: On the Margins (1996) and The Silent Epidemic (1998). Award-winning journalist and former deputy editor of Elle Decoration, McKenna has also worked as an editor for Channel 4. Working extensively in the gay press he is known for initiating the campaign for gay law reform in the Isle of Man and leading the fight against Clause 25.
By turns tragic and comic, meticulously researched and dazzlingly written, Fanny and Stella is an enthralling tour-de-force.. All eyes are riveted upon their lascivious oglings of the gentlemen in the stalls. Far from it. 28th April 1870. When the Metropolitan Police launched a secret campaign to bring about their downfall, they were arrested and subjected to a sensational show trial in Westminster Hall.As the trial of 'the Young Men in Women's Clothes' unfolded, Fanny and Stella's extraordinary lives as wives and daughters, actresses and whores were revealed to an incredulous public.With a cast of peers, politicians and prostitutes, drag queens, doctors and detectives, Fanny and Stella is a Victorian peepshow, exposing the startling underbe
Literary Review Wonderful This is a great read. History Today RIch and absorbing McKenna has done a tremendous job of recreating Victorian London's gay subculture, weaving newspaper reports, police documents and contemporary diaries into a jolly rollicking narrative. Neil McKenna has thrown himself into it with unfettered glee. He has a lot of fun with his subject while remaining sypathetic to those involved. Sunday Telegraph A most extraordinary tale through which author Neil McKenna paints a picture of a society that was a long, long way from the home life of our own dear Queen A fascinating reminder that Victorian society was nowhere near as respectable as it liked to believe. It would be an understaement to call it a colour