AustLit

'I am very glad that this book has been written, and even more so that Frank Bongiorno has written it. Histories of sexual behaviour in the West abound and especially so if we include studies of sexual behaviours past and present. But no histories of Australian sexuality existed before this book. I italicise 'histories' the word in order to address my second reason for celebration. This is an exemplary piece of social history, written with equal assiduity and clarity. So much is this the case that it could be (and I believe was intended to be) read by layperson and academic alike. Moreover, as the title suggests, this account draws heavily on subjective and deeply intimate accounts in the proud tradition of the first sexologists of the late nineteenth century. This is one of the strengths of the author's approach — clearly intent on moving beyond 'sexual behaviour' and focusing instead on 'sex lives'.' (Introduction)