http://worldcat.org/entity/work/id/34033056

James VI and I and the history of homosexuality

James VI and I was the most prominent homo-sexual figure in early modern Britain, but no one has studied the subject in depth until now. The evidence collected here throws new light on Jacobean politics and challenges the validity of several popular assumptions in the history of homosexuality. Despite his official condemnation of sodomy, King James was widely suspected of engaging in sexual relations with a series of favourites, whom he rewarded with money, titles and offices. Contemporary writings critical of the king reveal a great deal about the way people in the early seventeenth century thought about sex. Here we find pre-modern views of effeminacy, manliness, sodomy and pederasty; and we encounter premonitions of modern homosexuality and homophobia. This study of King James should appeal to anyone interested in British history, the royal family, the history of sexuality and the interplay between sex and politics. It is written in an engaging style, free of jargon and prefaced by a helpful biographical survey of James's life.

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