A previously undocumented slice of London's underground sexual history, and its influence upon artists from Oscar Wilde to Francis Bacon and the Stones to MorrisseyPiccadilly Circus has long been London's principal location for selling sex and this is the first book to really explore the history of male prostitution at "The Dilly." Dating from Oscar Wilde's notorious use of the location for pick-ups through to Francis Bacon's equal attraction to rough trade and right up to recent history, this is a pioneering piece of counterculture history. Employing a flair for acute visual imagery, the author maps out Soho's submerged gay clubs and drinking-rooms in the decades before de-criminalization. This is followed by the new masculinity advocated by the Mod look in the 1960s, the influence of the place on rock and pop stars such as the Stones, Marc Almond, and Morrissey (all of whom themed songs on the subject) and the book closes in the 1990s, when online male escorts replaced rent boys on the Piccadilly railing. An exhilaratingly colorful recreation of the illegal occupation of one of London'’s central commercial zones by lawless Dilly boys, this history is augmented by first-hand interviews with rent boys who worked the meat-rack in the 1970s as well as a chapter recording the author's personal friendship with the artist Francis Bacon.

This book is based on a study of male homosexual prostitutes in and around Piccadilly Circus from September 1969 to October 1970.

'Queer London' explores the underground gay culture of London during four decades when homosexual acts between consenting adults remained illegal. The author discovers how queer men made sense of their sexuality and how their lifestyles were affected by and in turn influenced the life of the metropolis.

In the smart, sexy tradition of New York Times bestsellers NEXT SUMMER and SOUTH BEACH, comes a new, sizzling look at tangled teenage romances set in a posh country club.There's the filthy-rich spoiled princess lounging in her Versace gold string bikini. The uber-hot pool boy who never has his shirt on. The poor-but-beautiful girl stuck working behind the snack bar. The handsome tennis star whose even better at kissing.The tight pack of best friends who've been spending summers at the Club forever. . . AND the mysterious newcomer who throws everything off whack. This summer, their lives and loves will all intersect in the most juicy ways imaginable. Because, in the Club, no rules apply. . . except the rules of attraction.

First Published in 1990. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

The most authoritative account of a pivotal event in legal and cultural history: the trials of Oscar Wilde on charges of "gross indecency" Among the most infamous prosecutions of a literary figure in history, the two trials of Oscar Wilde for committing acts of "gross indecency" occurred at the height of his fame. After being found guilty, Wilde spent two years in prison, emerged bankrupt, and died in a cheap hotel room in Paris a few years after his release. The trials prompted a new intolerance toward homosexuality: habits of male bonding that were previously seen as innocent were now viewed as a threat, and an association grew in the public mind between gay men and the arts. Oscar Wilde on Trial assembles accounts from a variety of sources, including official and private letters, newspaper accounts, and previously published (but very incomplete) transcripts, to provide the most accurate and authoritative account to date of events that were pivotal in both legal and cultural history.

Aging is stressful for anyone in youth-oriented Western societies. Elderly people encounter difficulties and discrimination, sometimes because of reduced income, transportation and housing problems, and failing health, but often due to the persistent negative stereotypes that color others’attitudes and behavior toward old people. Gay men and lesbians experience these stresses, as well as the numerous additional problems associated with their sexual orientation. Gay Midlife and Maturity is a dynamic and positive volume that challenges the long-held stereotype of the sad and lonely old homosexual. A growing body of international literature, much of which is featured in this book, rejects this myth and illustrates that older gay men and lesbians cope well with the aging process and are comparable to younger homosexuals in social and psychological adjustment. A much-needed and major contribution, Gay Midlife and Maturity contains an enormous amount of information for readers interested in gerontology and homosexuality. Experts, for the first time, examine the relationship between the adjustment of gay people to later life and the age and sequence of the resolution of these typically early developmental processes, raising many questions about traditional theories of gay development. The existing contradictions and debates about gay men and accelerated aging are addressed. Other valuable chapters focus on a theory of successful aging, a comparison of the traditional gay community (pre-Stonewall) versus the organized gay community, the vital role of communication in gay relationships, the sexual attitudes and behaviors of older gay men, and much more. Additional interesting and worthwhile chapters of this thought-provoking new book include an in-depth interview with Don Bachardy about his 33-year relationship Christopher Isherwood, a renowned English writer who was 30 years his senior, and a review of the growing literature on gay aging.

Here is the most comprehensive empirical study ever published about male prostitutes and their clients. Written by one of the most distinguished international scholars in psychiatry and criminal justice, this book provides a carefully designed presentation of in-depth interviews with several hundred London “rent boys.” The interviews included a large sample of one-to-one conversations in a private room tape-recorded with the consent of the interviewees. Dr. West and his colleague, Mr. de Villiers, bring you squarely into the everyday lives of male prostitutes and cover little known details of their lives, such as: the drift into homelessness sexual orientation entry into prostitution sexual orientation threats of blackmail, violence, and murder by male prostitutes or their clients attitudes and intentions of the male prostitutes post-prostitution careers, legal and criminology issues personal fears, desires, and interests of male prostitutes Encyclopedic in scope and depth, Male Prostitution never strays from combining high-level research presented in a readily understandable and often entertaining style and incisive insights and issues critical for both the informed layperson and researchers in human sexuality. Dr. West and his colleague provide is a source of unbiased, detailed information on the male sex industry and their clients which is unavailable in any other book published to date.