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Kinky History  By  cover art

Kinky History

By: Esmé Louise James
Narrated by: Esmé Louise James
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Publisher's summary

A provocative journey through human sexual history, packed with fun factoids and forgotten stories, from the historian and storyteller behind Kinky History, @esme.louisee on TikTok

Contrary to popular belief, our predecessors had all sorts of obscene hobbies long before Christian Grey hit the scene. In this enlightening romp, learn about the first instances of homosexuality on record from the ancient world and the diverse history of nonbinary gender; encounter a thousand years’ worth of hilarious and horrifying contraceptive methods; consider the positive and negative effects of the widespread availability of pornography in the digital age—and how our relationship to it changed during the pandemic; take a sneaky riffle through centuries of bedside drawers; and discover the dirty little secrets of luminaries such as Julius Caesar, James Joyce, Albert Einstein, and Virginia Woolf.

Esmé Louise James also identifies the key tipping points that directly inform current beliefs around sex to place the past in conversation with the present. By educating ourselves about the weird, wonderful, and varied spectrum of human sexuality and experience, we can normalize and destigmatize sex, write people of marginalized sexual identities back into the pages of history, and build toward a more liberated future.

©2024 Esmé Louise James (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Kinky History may not be the most fun you can have with your clothes on, because, well, you can have sex while still dressed. Regardless, Esmé Louise James’s book is a riotous romp that is entertaining, educational, empathetic, and inclusive. I loved it."—James Fell, author of On This Day in History Sh!t Went Down


"Bold and enlightening, Kinky History is a radical journey through the evolution of human intimacy. It’s a thrilling reminder of the need to break taboos and forge a sex-positive future. Not just a book, it’s a compelling call to sexual understanding and acceptance."—Chantelle Otten, author of The Sex Ed You Never Had

"A feast for the mind and the imagination, featuring histories you definitely didn't learn in school. Best served over multiple sittings, it will leave you more than satisfied."—Dr. Amy Thunig, author of Tell Me Again

"Esmé is wonderfully knowledgeable and passionate about the history of all things sex. Her unbridled enthusiasm is infectious, making it hard not to be drawn into the fascinating world of Kinky History!"—Dr. Matt Agnew, author of Dr. Matt's Guide to Life in Space

“Who knew that history could be so…kinky? Esmé Louise James offers a lesson in history that you most definitely did not receive in school. She shows how, by looking into the past, we can learn a lot about sex in the present, including the root sources of sexual shame. This books shows how the path to modern sexual liberation starts with a comprehensive understanding of the history of sex, kinks and all.” —Justin J. Lehmiller, Ph.D., Host of the Sex and Psychology Podcast and author of Tell Me What You Want

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