The Routledge History of Sex and the Body provides an overview of the main themes surrounding the history of sexuality from 1500 to the present day. The history of sex and the body is an expanding field in which vibrant debate on, for instance, the history of homosexuality, is developing. This book examines the current scholarship and looks towards future directions across the field.
The volume is divided into fourteen thematic chapters, which are split into two chronological sections 1500 - 1750 and 1750 to present day. Focusing on the history of sexuality and the body in the West but also interactions with a broader globe, these thematic chapters survey the major areas of debate and discussion. Covering themes such as science, identity, the gaze, courtship, reproduction, sexual violence and the importance of race, the volume offers a comprehensive view of the history of sex and the body. The book concludes with an afterword in which the reader is invited to consider some of the 'tensions, problems and areas deserving further scrutiny'.
Including contributors renowned in their field of expertise, this ground-breaking collection is essential reading for all those interested in the history of sexuality and the body.
'Comprehensive and impressive. Toulalan and Fisher have assembled essays by a wide range of experts in this rapidly evolving field, making for a volume that will be valued by students and researchers alike.' - Prof. William M. Reddy, Duke University, USA
'With careful balance between the early modern and modern periods, these superb essays consider the science of sex and medical understandings of the body, sexuality and psychology, clothing and nakedness, pornography, age and life cycle, courtship and marriage, reproduction, prostitution, sexual violence and rape, sexual disease, and race. Introductory essays by Katherine Crawford and Harry G. Cocks nicely overview current approaches to the study of the body and sexuality from 1500 to 1750 and since 1750, respectively. With abundant and appropriate citations and a rich bibliography, this volume will be indispensable for students and scholars interested in the history of sexuality and the body. Summing Up: Essential.' - S. L. Harp, University of Akron, CHOICE
