Michael Young King James and the History of Homosexuality (Hardback)

King James and the History of HomosexualityMichael YoungLabel: Fonthill Media LtdDescription: James VI & I the namesake of the King James Version of the Bible had a series of notorious male favourites. No one denies that these relationships were amorous but were they sexual? Michael B. Young merges political history with recent scholarship in the history of sexuality to answer that question. More broadly he shows that James's favourites had a negative impact within the royal family at court in Parliament and in the nation at large. Contemporaries raised the spectre of a sodomitical court and an effeminized nation; some urged James to engage in a more virile foreign policy by embarking on war. Queen Anne encouraged a martial spirit and moulded her oldest son to be more manly than his father. Repercussions continued after James's death detracting from the majesty of the monarchy and contributing to the outbreak of the Civil War. Persons acquainted with the history of sexuality will find surprising premonitions here of modern homosexuality and homophobia. General readers will find a world of political intrigue coloured by sodomy pederasty and gender instability. For readers new to the subject the book begins with a helpful overview of King James's life.