Curious History of Sex

Based on the popular research project Whores of Yore and written with her distinctive humour and wit, A Curious History of Sex draws upon Dr. Kate Lister's extensive knowledge of sex history. From medieval impotence tests to twentieth-century testicle thefts, from the erotic frescoes of Pompeii, to modern-day sex doll brothels, Lister unashamedly roots around in the pants of history, debunking myths, challenging stereotypes, and generally getting her hands dirty. This fascinating book is peppered with surprising and informative historical slang, and illustrated with eye-opening, toe-curling, and meticulously sourced images from the past. You will laugh, you will wince, and you will wonder just how much has actually changed.

"Arousal, adultery, and desire . . . [The Curious History of Sex] is unavoidably an account of injustice against women, and a compelling one." --Guardian "She's mostly quite good company on the page. . . . Wherever we are heading, whatever your proclivities, Lister has this comment: 'I promise, it's all been done before.'" --Dwight Garner, New York Times "Buckle your trousers, fasten your seatbelts, here comes Kate Lister. Her curious history of sex is a wild ride, made all the more enjoyable by a wonderfully irreverent approach. If she ever tires of being an academic historian she might try stand-up comedy. I've never had so much fun learning stuff. . . . Bravo to Lister for her honesty, authority, candor, and especially her humor." --The Times "An eye opener. Thoughtful but fun, scholarly but spritely . . . and a bit rude!" --Sir Tony Robinson

Dr. Kate Lister is a university lecturer. She researches the history of sexuality and curates the online research project Whores of Yore. She is also a columnist for iNews and the Wellcome Trust where she writes about the history of sex. Kate won the Sexual Freedom Award for Publicist of the Year in 2017. thewhoresofyore.com / @WhoresofYore