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The Hellfire Clubs Evelyn Lord

The Hellfire Clubs By Evelyn Lord

The Hellfire Clubs by Evelyn Lord


$13.99
Condition - Very Good
Only 3 left

Summary

The Hell-Fire Clubs scandalized eighteenth-century English society. This book explores the social and economic context in which the clubs emerged and flourished; their various phases, which first involved violence as an assertion of masculinity, then religious blasphemy, and later sexual indulgence.

The Hellfire Clubs Summary

The Hellfire Clubs: Sex, Satanism and Secret Societies by Evelyn Lord

The first authoritative account of the Hell-Fire Clubs, who joined them, and which notorious legends about them are true

The Hell-Fire Clubs scandalized eighteenth-century English society. Rumors of their orgies, recruitment of prostitutes, extensive libraries of erotica, extreme rituals, and initiation ceremonies circulated widely at the time, only to become more sensational as generations passed. This thoroughly researched book sets aside the exaggerated gossip about the secret Hell-Fire Clubs and brings to light the first accurate portrait of their membership (including John Wilkes, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the Prince of Wales), beliefs, activities, and the reasons for their proliferation, first in the British Isles and later in America, possibly under the auspices of Benjamin Franklin.

Hell-Fire Clubs operated under a variety of titles, but all attracted similar members-mainly upper-class men with abundant leisure and the desire to shock society. The book explores the social and economic context in which the clubs emerged and flourished; their various phases, which first involved violence as an assertion of masculinity, then religious blasphemy, and later sexual indulgence; and the countermovement that eventually suppressed them. Uncovering the facts behind the Hell-Fire legends, this book also opens a window on the rich contradictions of the Enlightenment period.

About Evelyn Lord

Evelyn Lord has published widely on local history and is the author of The Knights Templar in Britain and The Stuart Secret Army. She lives in Cambridge, UK.

Additional information

GOR004773321
9780300164022
0300164025
The Hellfire Clubs: Sex, Satanism and Secret Societies by Evelyn Lord
Used - Very Good
Paperback
Yale University Press
20100315
250
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

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