Wilde's Last Stand

Name: Wilde's Last Stand
Price: 24.99 AUD
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ISBN: 9780715640821

Scandal, Decadence and Conspiracy During the Great War

Philip Hoare

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Paperback

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English

Duckworth
18 July 2011

Biography; British & Irish history; Social & cultural history; Gay & Lesbian studies; Sociology: sexual relations

In 1918 the Vigilante newspaper claimed that the German Secret Service held a book containing the names of 47,000 British establishment members who were sexual perverts. It was claimed Britain was losing the war because the Germans were blackmailing these figures and thereby sapping the country's strength. The Vigilante was exploiting popular belief that Britain had become a decadent state still in thrall to the immoral cult of Oscar Wilde. The extreme right wing politics of the newspaper's publisher were becoming dangerously popular and in the sensational libel trial that followed many high society members were drawn in. Wilde's devoted ""friend"" Robbie Ross and his one time lover, Lord Alfred Douglas, both became embroiled in the bitter battle over Wilde's reputation. The author uses original documents and archives to narrate the history of this bizarre scandal, made all the more unusual by having occurred during the final year of World War I. He produces a portrait of wartime society, telling of transvestites in the trenches, of drug clubs in London, and of the roots of British fascism, discerning the seeds of intolerance which would inform the troubled years to come.'Hoare has identified one of the key moments in the formation of the modern world, and he has documented it with dazzling brilliance' Simon Callow, Sunday Times

By: Philip Hoare
Imprint: Duckworth
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 129mm, Spine: 20mm
Weight: 230g
ISBN: 9780715640821
ISBN 10: 0715640828
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 18 July 2011
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Philip Hoare is the winner of the 2009 BBC Samuel Johnson Prize for Leviathan. His other works include the definitive biography of Noel Coward. He is also the editor of The Sayings of Noel Coward.

Reviews for Wilde's Last Stand: Scandal, Decadence and Conspiracy During the Great War

'A thrashing good read' Independent on Sunday 'Hoare's lively book is a valuable addition to the alternative history of our century.' * Peter Parker, Observer * A shocking tale of heroes and villains. Illuminating and upsetting in equal measure.' * Sir Ian McKellen * 'Hoare has identified one of the key moments in the formation of the modern world, and he has documented it with dazzling brilliance.' * Simon Callow, The Sunday Times *