London, 1877. A petite young woman stands before an all-male jury, about to risk everything. She takes a breath, and opens her defence.
Annie Besant and her confidant Charles Bradlaugh are on trial for the sordid crime of publishing and selling a birth control pamphlet. Remarkably – forty-five years before the first woman will be admitted to the English bar – Annie is defending herself. Before Britain’s highest judge she declares it is a woman’s right to choose when, and if, to have children. At a time when women were legally and socially subservient to men, Annie’s defiant voice was a sensation. The riveting trial scandalised newspapers, captivated the British public and sparked a debate over morals, censorship and sex.
Drawing on unpublished archives, private papers and courtroom transcripts – and featuring an incredible cast including Queen Victoria, George Bernard Shaw and London itself – A Dirty, Filthy Book tells the gripping story of a forgotten pioneer who refused to accept the role the Establishment assigned to her. Instead, she chose to resist.
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A Dirty, Filthy Book 9780753559925 Hardback
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- Authors:
- Meyer, Michael
- Year Published:
- 2024
- Country of Publication:
- United Kingdom
- Format:
- Hardback
- ISBN:
- 9780753559925
- Number of Pages:
- 400
- Publication Date:
- 08/02/2024
- Publisher:
- Ebury Publishing
- Place of Publication:
- London
- Language:
- English
- SKU:
- 9780753559925