"Libertine London is the story of sex in the capital from the Restoration to Jane Austen’s time. . . . The material is fascinating, if grotesque."

Daily Telegraph

"Judging by the satirical cartoons Georgian England was one never-ending sexual playground . . . This fascinating book . . . reveals another, darker, side to this erotic Eden."

Mail on Sunday

"It seems that eighteenth-century brothel owners had their own pre-Viagra cures for erectile dysfunction, aimed at men known as 'flogging cullies.' 'Flagellation was a fixation of the period. . . . The theory was a good flogging would increase the blood rush to the necessary parts,' notes historian Peakman in Libertine London: Sex in the Eighteenth-Century Metropolis. This clear-eyed study of the sex lives of women from 1680 to 1830 also notes that diarist Samuel Pepys, a man whose name is usually spoken in reverent terms as a literary giant, was 'a known groper.' That revelation didn’t seem to make it into his own diaries."

Independent

"The frequent unpleasantness of this era’s sexual life does not keep this from being a terribly intriguing book, and it’s hard to put down. . . . The wide-ranging Libertine London uses research from court transcripts, asylum records, early journalism, pamphlets, songs, plays and pornography, and includes fifty color plates and fifty halftones from the period, which add to the book’s allure. . . . A fascinating, grotesque journey that will broaden your view of the days of wigs and knee breeches. It was a lot stickier than you imagined."

Newcity

"Peakman delves into the archives to uncover the sex lives of Georgian women, from streetwalkers to courtesans. Drawing on pamphlets, letters, songs, court transcripts, and asylum records, Peakman sheds light on the 'libertines' who pursued sex outside marriage, whether for love or a living. . . . Peakman knows her stuff—she has written extensively on sexuality and pornography in eighteenth-century Britain—and Libertine London is a fascinating study of the price of sexual freedom in a society that held men and women to different moral standards."

Idler

"Today’s woman is sometimes frustrated by lack of parity—in wages or opportunity. In Libertine London, Peakman, an authority on eighteenth-century sex, makes these irritations pale beside the life-threatening horrors women endured. . . . Peakman’s book abounds in stories."

Oldie

"With Libertine London: Sex in the Eighteenth-Century Metropolis, Julie Peakman has given us an intimate portrayal of women’s sexual activity during the long eighteenth century, which ran from the Glorious Revolution of 1688 to Waterloo in 1815. . . . a fine introduction to the social history of the period, which aims to look at that magnificent yet squalid era through the eyes of the sex hustlers of the time."

Brazen Head

"Drawing on a wealth of archival research, Peakman successfully brings to life how women navigated the sexual landscape of the eighteenth-century metropolis. . . . Libertine London is an enjoyable and accessible read, packed with high-quality illustrations and intriguing details. A major strength of this book is its treasure trove of primary sources, and historians of sexuality will find pickings both rich and novel in its pages. . . . An ambitious and richly textured account of eighteenth-century sexual culture which excels at putting sex in its social and economic context."

Women's Writing

"An excellent survey of eighteenth-century British sexual culture as it unfolded in and around the English capital. Peakman long ago cemented her status as a leading expert on the history of sex and sexuality in this period, and Libertine London’s nuanced account of misogyny and misadventure demonstrates that she remains more than worthy of that title. I look forward to reading whatever comes next."

H-Albion

"A wide-ranging and richly illustrated guide to the fascinating sexual cultures of eighteenth-century London."

Fara Dabhoiwala, author of "The Origins of Sex: A History of the First Sexual Revolution"

"The Georgians did not invent sex but they were the first to explore publicly all its permutations. To discover more, read Peakman's frank and enticing study."

Penelope J. Corfield, emeritus professor, London University, and author of "The Georgians: The Deeds and Misdeeds of 18th-Century Britain"