LGBT History Books - Revision history

LGBT-HP: Added Queer City, Queer Scrapbook, Queer Inheritance, Writing Queer History, Thank You for Calling, Queer Georgians, Before Gender

2026-07-22T22:31:01Z

Added Queer City, Queer Scrapbook, Queer Inheritance, Writing Queer History, Thank You for Calling, Queer Georgians, Before Gender

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:31, 22 July 2026
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	*''Queer Beyond London: LGBTQ People and the British City'' edited by [[Matt Cook]] (ISBN 9781526145864) – Extends the history of LGBTQ life beyond London to cities across Britain.		*''Queer Beyond London: LGBTQ People and the British City'' edited by [[Matt Cook]] (ISBN 9781526145864) – Extends the history of LGBTQ life beyond London to cities across Britain.

			*''Queer City: London from the Romans to the Present'' by Peter Ackroyd (ISBN 9780099592945) – A popular history of gay and lesbian life in London across two millennia, from Roman times to the present day.

			*''A Queer Scrapbook: Britain and Ireland Since the Sexual Offences Act 1967'' (ISBN 9781526165312) – A visual history of LGBTQ life in Britain and Ireland, drawing on archives, photography and ephemera.

			*''Queer Inheritance: Alternative Histories of the National Trust's Country Houses'' (ISBN 9781781301142) – Explores the queer histories hidden in National Trust properties and their collections.

			*''Writing Queer History'' by Matt Cook (ISBN 9781474247528) – A guide to researching and writing LGBTQ history, useful for wiki editors working with primary sources.

	*''[[No Modernism Without Lesbians]]'' by [[Diana Souhami]] (ISBN 9781786694874) – Winner of the 2021 [[Polari Prize]], this study examines the lives and influence of lesbian patrons, publishers and artists who shaped literary modernism: Sylvia Beach, Bryher, Natalie Barney and Radclyffe Hall.		*''[[No Modernism Without Lesbians]]'' by [[Diana Souhami]] (ISBN 9781786694874) – Winner of the 2021 [[Polari Prize]], this study examines the lives and influence of lesbian patrons, publishers and artists who shaped literary modernism: Sylvia Beach, Bryher, Natalie Barney and Radclyffe Hall.
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	*''[[OutRage!\|OutRage!: An Oral History]]'' by Ian Lucas (ISBN 9780304333585, Cassell, 1998) – Oral history of the [[OutRage!]] direct action group, founded in 1990 by [[Peter Tatchell]] and others. Written by journalist Ian Lucas from interviews with members.		*''[[OutRage!\|OutRage!: An Oral History]]'' by Ian Lucas (ISBN 9780304333585, Cassell, 1998) – Oral history of the [[OutRage!]] direct action group, founded in 1990 by [[Peter Tatchell]] and others. Written by journalist Ian Lucas from interviews with members.

			*''Thank You for Calling the Lesbian Line: A Hidden History of Queer Women'' (ISBN 9780349704616) – Oral history of the London Lesbian Line and the women who ran and used it.

	==Victorian and early history==		==Victorian and early history==
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	*''[[Father and Son]]'' by [[Edmund Gosse]] (ISBN 9780199539116) – A classic autobiographical account of growing up in a strict Plymouth Brethren household. While not explicitly a gay text, Gosse's correspondence with [[John Addington Symonds]] and his own suppressed desires give the book an important place in LGBT literary history.		*''[[Father and Son]]'' by [[Edmund Gosse]] (ISBN 9780199539116) – A classic autobiographical account of growing up in a strict Plymouth Brethren household. While not explicitly a gay text, Gosse's correspondence with [[John Addington Symonds]] and his own suppressed desires give the book an important place in LGBT literary history.

			*''Queer Georgians: A History of Lawbreakers and Homemakers'' (ISBN 9781804993934) – Explores gay and queer lives in Georgian Britain (c.1714–1837), examining both criminality and domestic life.

			*''Before Gender: Stories from History, 1850–1950'' (ISBN 9781526192714) – Short narrative histories of gender-nonconforming people in Britain and Ireland in the Victorian and Edwardian periods.

	==Politics and activism==		==Politics and activism==

LGBT-HP: Corrected OutRage! oral history: author Ian Lucas, ISBN 9780304333585

2026-07-22T22:26:37Z

Corrected OutRage! oral history: author Ian Lucas, ISBN 9780304333585

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:26, 22 July 2026
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	*''[[No Bath but Plenty of Bubbles]]: An Oral History of the Gay Liberation Front 1970-73'' by [[Lisa Power]] (ISBN 9780304332052) – First-hand accounts from members of the GLF, one of the earliest gay liberation organisations in Britain.		*''[[No Bath but Plenty of Bubbles]]: An Oral History of the Gay Liberation Front 1970-73'' by [[Lisa Power]] (ISBN 9780304332052) – First-hand accounts from members of the GLF, one of the earliest gay liberation organisations in Britain.

	*''~~Outrage~~! An Oral History'' (ISBN ~~9780304333578~~, Cassell, 1998) – Oral history of the [[OutRage!]] direct action group, founded in 1990 by [[Peter Tatchell]] and others.		*''[[OutRage!\|OutRage!: An Oral History]]'' by Ian Lucas (ISBN 9780304333585, Cassell, 1998) – Oral history of the [[OutRage!]] direct action group, founded in 1990 by [[Peter Tatchell]] and others. Written by journalist Ian Lucas from interviews with members.

	==Victorian and early history==		==Victorian and early history==

LGBT-HP: Added oral histories section (No Bath, Outrage!); added Matt Cook books; added A Full Cup (Thomas Lipton); removed Stranger Among Friends (American)

2026-07-22T22:25:20Z

Added oral histories section (No Bath, Outrage!); added Matt Cook books; added A Full Cup (Thomas Lipton); removed Stranger Among Friends (American)

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:25, 22 July 2026
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	*''[[Queer beyond London\|Queer beyond London: LGBTQ Stories from Four English Cities]]'' by Matt Cook and Alison Oram (ISBN 9781526145864) – Extends the story beyond the capital to look at LGBTQ lives in Brighton, Manchester, Newcastle and Southampton.		*''[[Queer beyond London\|Queer beyond London: LGBTQ Stories from Four English Cities]]'' by Matt Cook and Alison Oram (ISBN 9781526145864) – Extends the story beyond the capital to look at LGBTQ lives in Brighton, Manchester, Newcastle and Southampton.

			*''[[A Gay History of Britain]]: Love and Sex Between Men since the Middle Ages'' edited by [[Matt Cook]] (ISBN 9781846450020) – A scholarly collection spanning the Middle Ages to the present, with Cook authoring chapters on the twentieth century.

			*''Queer Domesticities: Homosexuality and Home Life in Twentieth-Century London'' by [[Matt Cook]] (ISBN 9781137316073) – Examines how gay men and lesbians made domestic space their own in 20th-century London.

			*''Queer Beyond London: LGBTQ People and the British City'' edited by [[Matt Cook]] (ISBN 9781526145864) – Extends the history of LGBTQ life beyond London to cities across Britain.

	*''[[No Modernism Without Lesbians]]'' by [[Diana Souhami]] (ISBN 9781786694874) – Winner of the 2021 [[Polari Prize]], this study examines the lives and influence of lesbian patrons, publishers and artists who shaped literary modernism: Sylvia Beach, Bryher, Natalie Barney and Radclyffe Hall.		*''[[No Modernism Without Lesbians]]'' by [[Diana Souhami]] (ISBN 9781786694874) – Winner of the 2021 [[Polari Prize]], this study examines the lives and influence of lesbian patrons, publishers and artists who shaped literary modernism: Sylvia Beach, Bryher, Natalie Barney and Radclyffe Hall.

	*''[[Gateway to Heaven]]: Fifty Years of Lesbian and Gay Oral History'' by [[Clare Summerskill]] (ISBN 9780956017376) – Based on interviews with older gay men and lesbians, and a theatre production that toured the UK. An invaluable primary source for editors writing about the mid-20th century.		*''[[Gateway to Heaven]]: Fifty Years of Lesbian and Gay Oral History'' by [[Clare Summerskill]] (ISBN 9780956017376) – Based on interviews with older gay men and lesbians, and a theatre production that toured the UK. An invaluable primary source for editors writing about the mid-20th century.

			==Oral histories==

			*''[[No Bath but Plenty of Bubbles]]: An Oral History of the Gay Liberation Front 1970-73'' by [[Lisa Power]] (ISBN 9780304332052) – First-hand accounts from members of the GLF, one of the earliest gay liberation organisations in Britain.

			*''Outrage! An Oral History'' (ISBN 9780304333578, Cassell, 1998) – Oral history of the [[OutRage!]] direct action group, founded in 1990 by [[Peter Tatchell]] and others.

	==Victorian and early history==		==Victorian and early history==
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	*''[[Queen James]]: The Life and Loves of Britain's First King'' by [[Gareth Russell]] (ISBN 9780008660857) – A recent popular biography of [[James I]] that addresses his relationships with male favourites including [[Robert Carr]] and [[George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham]].		*''[[Queen James]]: The Life and Loves of Britain's First King'' by [[Gareth Russell]] (ISBN 9780008660857) – A recent popular biography of [[James I]] that addresses his relationships with male favourites including [[Robert Carr]] and [[George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham]].

			*''A Full Cup: Sir Thomas Lipton's Extraordinary Life and His Quest for the America's Cup'' by Michael D'Antonio (ISBN 9781594485213) – Biography of the Scottish-born tea magnate and yachtsman who was gay and maintained a long-term relationship throughout his life.

	*''[[The Naked Civil Servant]]'' by [[Quentin Crisp]] (ISBN 9780141180533) – Crisp's memoir of living openly and flamboyantly as a gay man in mid-20th century Britain, later adapted for television.		*''[[The Naked Civil Servant]]'' by [[Quentin Crisp]] (ISBN 9780141180533) – Crisp's memoir of living openly and flamboyantly as a gay man in mid-20th century Britain, later adapted for television.
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	*''[[A Life and a Half]]: The Unexpected Making of a Politician'' by [[Chris Bryant]] (ISBN 9781526680914) – Bryant's candid memoir covering his childhood, his time in the Church of England, and coming out as a gay man in Parliament.		*''[[A Life and a Half]]: The Unexpected Making of a Politician'' by [[Chris Bryant]] (ISBN 9781526680914) – Bryant's candid memoir covering his childhood, his time in the Church of England, and coming out as a gay man in Parliament.

	*''[[Stranger Among Friends]]'' by [[David Mixner]] (ISBN 9780553375541) – The autobiography of the American gay rights activist and Clinton adviser. Includes detailed accounts of the campaign for the repeal of ''Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' and the early response to AIDS.

	==Fiction==		==Fiction==

LGBT-HP: Create LGBT History Books reference page with ISBNs and affiliate links

2026-07-22T22:01:29Z

Create LGBT History Books reference page with ISBNs and affiliate links

New page

This page is a curated reading list of key books in LGBT history, intended as a research resource for editors of the LGBT History Project. Purchasing through the Amazon links below (which use the project's affiliate code) generates a small commission that helps support the archive.

Buying any of these books through the links below supports the LGBT History Project at no extra cost to you.

==British social history==

These are some of the foundational academic and popular works on LGBT British history. They are regularly cited in wiki articles and are recommended reading for new editors.

*''[[Coming Out: Homosexual Politics in Britain from the Nineteenth Century to the Present]]'' by [[Jeffrey Weeks]] (ISBN 9780704331754) – The standard academic history of the British gay rights movement, first published in 1977 and revised twice since. Essential reading for understanding the political and social history of homosexuality in Britain.

*''[[Mother Clap's Molly House|Mother Clap's Molly House: The Gay Subculture in England, 1700–1830]]'' by [[Rictor Norton]] (ISBN 9780854491889) – A pioneering study of the underground gay culture of 18th-century London, centred on Mother Clap's famous establishment. Draws on court records and contemporary documents.

*''[[The Myth of the Modern Homosexual]]: Queer History and the Search for Cultural Unity'' by [[Rictor Norton]] (ISBN 9780304338924) – Norton challenges the idea that gay identity is a modern invention, arguing for a continuous homosexual culture across history.

*''[[Queer Domesticities]]: Homosexuality and Home Life in Twentieth-Century London'' by [[Matt Cook]] (ISBN 9780230221390) – A scholarly study of how gay men and lesbians created domestic lives in 20th-century London.

*''[[Queer beyond London|Queer beyond London: LGBTQ Stories from Four English Cities]]'' by Matt Cook and Alison Oram (ISBN 9781526145864) – Extends the story beyond the capital to look at LGBTQ lives in Brighton, Manchester, Newcastle and Southampton.

*''[[No Modernism Without Lesbians]]'' by [[Diana Souhami]] (ISBN 9781786694874) – Winner of the 2021 [[Polari Prize]], this study examines the lives and influence of lesbian patrons, publishers and artists who shaped literary modernism: Sylvia Beach, Bryher, Natalie Barney and Radclyffe Hall.

*''[[Gateway to Heaven]]: Fifty Years of Lesbian and Gay Oral History'' by [[Clare Summerskill]] (ISBN 9780956017376) – Based on interviews with older gay men and lesbians, and a theatre production that toured the UK. An invaluable primary source for editors writing about the mid-20th century.

==Victorian and early history==

*''[[The Sins of Jack Saul]]: The True Story of Dublin Jack and the Cleveland Street Scandal'' by [[Glenn Chandler]] (ISBN 9781786237675) – A thorough account of the life of John Saul (''Jack'' Saul), the Victorian rent boy who was a central witness in the [[Cleveland Street scandal]] of 1889. Based on extensive primary research.

*''[[Father and Son]]'' by [[Edmund Gosse]] (ISBN 9780199539116) – A classic autobiographical account of growing up in a strict Plymouth Brethren household. While not explicitly a gay text, Gosse's correspondence with [[John Addington Symonds]] and his own suppressed desires give the book an important place in LGBT literary history.

==Politics and activism==

*''[[The Glamour Boys]]: The Secret Story of the Rebels who Fought for Britain to Defeat Hitler'' by [[Chris Bryant]] (ISBN 9781526601711) – Recovers the stories of the group of gay and bisexual MPs – including [[Bob Boothby]], [[Harold Nicolson]] and [[Ronald Cartland]] – who defied the appeasement of Nazi Germany. Bryant argues their outsider status gave them the courage to speak out.

*''[[We Don't Want to March Straight]]: Masculinity, Queers and the Military'' by [[Peter Tatchell]] (ISBN 9780304333738) – Tatchell's critique of the campaign for gay military service, arguing the focus on conformity undermines queer liberation.

==Biography and memoir==

*''[[Queen James]]: The Life and Loves of Britain's First King'' by [[Gareth Russell]] (ISBN 9780008660857) – A recent popular biography of [[James I]] that addresses his relationships with male favourites including [[Robert Carr]] and [[George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham]].

*''[[The Naked Civil Servant]]'' by [[Quentin Crisp]] (ISBN 9780141180533) – Crisp's memoir of living openly and flamboyantly as a gay man in mid-20th century Britain, later adapted for television.

*''[[Red Carpets and Other Banana Skins]]'' by [[Rupert Everett]] (ISBN 9780349120584) – The first memoir by the openly gay British actor, covering his career, friendships and views on the film industry.

*''[[A Life and a Half]]: The Unexpected Making of a Politician'' by [[Chris Bryant]] (ISBN 9781526680914) – Bryant's candid memoir covering his childhood, his time in the Church of England, and coming out as a gay man in Parliament.

*''[[Stranger Among Friends]]'' by [[David Mixner]] (ISBN 9780553375541) – The autobiography of the American gay rights activist and Clinton adviser. Includes detailed accounts of the campaign for the repeal of ''Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' and the early response to AIDS.

==Fiction==

The [[Polari Prize]] is the UK's leading award for LGBT writing. See the [[Polari Prize]] page for a full list of winners and shortlisted books with purchase links.

[[Category:Reference resources]]
[[Category:Books]]