John Rankin Sex and Scandals in Georgian England

Sex and Scandal in Georgian England examines the fun, fascinating, and folly-filled lives of leading Georgians to provide exciting and compelling insights into the role played by extra-marital relationships in the Georgian world. Concerned with the timely issues of gender, power, and class privilege, Sex and Scandal in Georgian England provides a fascinating re-telling of the ways in which marriage, sex, and affairs were conducted in the past. By drawing upon new developments in social and cultural history, this work challenges the notion of Georgian libertinism, demonstrating instead a complex, well-accepted, and strictly enforced social code of behaviour. This is important for too long have historians contrasted the ‘wild’ Georgians with the ‘staid’ Victorians. Neither of these assumptions are true nor borne out in a careful reading of history. Sex and Scandal in Georgian England challenges some of our modern assumptions about affairs and what is considered normative behaviour while connecting today’s ‘scandal-ridden’ society with the past. In a world where politicians, athletes, and celebrities are under a microscope and are often criticised for their private behaviour, including extra-marital affairs, how were similar issues dealt with in the past? Why is it, just like during the Georgian period, that some people are celebrated for their infidelities while others are shamed and forced into social exile for what appears, on the surface, to be similar behaviour? Ultimately, Sex and Scandal in Georgian England connects the past with current issues allowing us to not only learn about history but to enjoy the process.