The subjects featured in this book are all people from history who today we would consider part of the LGBTQ+ community. However, these aren't the people celebrated as queer icons, role models or leaders. Instead, they are those that have a darker side to them, which might not be as progressive, liberal or accepting as you'd hope. Some are truly Bad Gays, others are a strange mix of admirable and deplorable. But ultimately, the writers explore who they were in their own time and why, although they should not necessarily be lauded, they should still be remembered.

I heard an interview with the authors of this book on one of the 'History Hit' podcasts a while ago, and then was lucky enough to find a copy in a local charity shop. Having read it, I'd say this is a book you need to read with a dictionary in one hand, and a dick joke in the other. The tone in the first few chapters is a strange mash up of scholarly work, reading almost to the point where it doesn't feel aimed at a general audience (it's been a long time since I've had to refer to a dictionary on multiple occasions while reading), quickly followed by moments where the authors' inner teenagers seem to have come to the fore to giggle and put rude words into their essay. It does settle down after a while and find that happy medium, but it leaves the whole thing sitting a bit oddly in the reader's mind. There are several reviews and quotes that suggest this book is quite comical to read (even on the back of the book itself), but I didn't find this to be the case.

As usual for this type of book, I was only familiar with about half of the subjects included, and so it was interesting to learn about some new people and discover new things about those I've heard of. There is a relatively good balance between giving the reader an overview of the subject's life generally, and then focusing in on their sexuality and related anecdotes. Nothing is sensationalised, and for the mostbpart there is admiration and admonishment in equal measure. Clearly, the book cannot help but be political in some respects, with many of the characters displaying right wing leanings at odds with the authors' own persuasions. 

While all of the chapters have their own wisdom to impart, I feel like the most important (and most worrisome) one to read is the last chapter, on Pim Fortuyn. Mostly because the effects of his entering the political arena are within easy memory and the ramifications are still in evidence. It's also a really good illustration of how bad the media (and, let's be honest, society at large) can be at picking on one aspect of a person and praising or vilifying it to the exclusion of everything else that makes them human. I think this is the epitome of what the book is trying to do - look at these people in the round.

I did find myself zoning out in a few places (partly because I was reading while getting over a headache), where I wasn't as drawn to the subject or felt that the writing went a little too far off-topic, but it was an interesting enough read that I could keep going. However, it's going to be an unhaul as it didn't keep me engaged to the extent that I'd want to refer to it again.