Queer City: Gay London from the Romans to the Present Day

British historian Ackroyd (London Under) presents a scintillating history of homosexuality in London. He draws from literature, theater, laws and court cases, pamphlets, and gossip to present an informed yet impressionistic picture of how religion, decree, popular standards, and desire shifted the sexual dynamics of Londoners through the centuries. Ackroyd’s primary focus is on the complexities of male roles, exploring the sexual dynamics in man and boy relationships and master and slave relationships in Roman London in the fourth century, and the flourishing of prostitution and secret meeting places in the 17th century. He also discusses stereotypes of each era, like the boyish or femme Ganymede of the 16th century or the upwardly mobile macaronis and the working-class “mollies” of the 18th century. There’s also a short chapter on lesbian “rubsters” in the 17th century and one about cross-dressing women in the 18th century. Though Ackroyd delights in the lurid details of his anecdotes—such as the case of accusations of sodomy against Francis Bacon and a philosophical treatise Bacon wrote about “masculine love”—his coverage of the modern period is brief and notably more somber, focusing on moods of fear and discretion, and stating that “queerness, with all its panache and ferocity, is in elegant retreat.” His focus is on the lesser known periods in the history of gay and lesbian culture in London, for which he offers a nimble jaunt through history. Color illus. (May)