A dirty, filthy book : Annie Besant's fight for reproductive rights
Meyer, Michael, 1972-2025
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London, 1877. Annie Besant and her confidant Charles Bradlaugh are on trial for the sordid crime of publishing and selling a birth control pamphlet. Remarkably - 45 years before the first woman will be admitted to the English bar - Annie is defending herself - declaring 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 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 Drawing on unpublished archives, private papers and courtroom transcripts - and featuring an incredible cast including Queen Victoria, George Bernard Shaw and London itself - 'A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.
Main title:
A dirty, filthy book : Annie Besant's fight for reproductive rights / Michael Meyer.
Author:
Imprint:
London : WH Allen, 2025.London : WH Allen, 2025.
Collation:
vii, 390 pages : illustrations (black and white) ; 20 cm
Notes:
Originally published: 2024.Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN:
9780753559949 (pbk)
Dewey class:
304.666
Language:
English
Subject:
Besant, Annie, 1847-1933 -- Trials, litigation, etcBradlaugh, Charles, 1833-1891 -- Trials, litigation, etcBirth control -- Great Britain -- History -- 19th centuryGreat Britain -- Social life and customs -- 19th centurySocietyUnited Kingdom, Great Britain19th century, c 1800 to c 1899European historySocial & cultural historyFeminism & feminist theory
BRN:
3003447