A worldwide subculture that influences everything from fashion to advertising, sadomasochism has a long and lively history. A Loverâs Pinch tells the story of consensual sadomasochism, from a controversial religious practice to a secretive sexuality branded a perversion. The origins of kink and fetish culture have been shrouded in secrecy and myths, until now. Here, Peter Tupper reveals the true story of sadism and masochism, dominance and submission.
From the ancient Christian flagellants to the Fifty Shades trilogy, the history of consensual sadomasochism is a story of fascinating individuals, unlikely connections and strange twists and turns. Meet Arthur Munby, the Victorian gentleman who secretly married Hannah Cullwick, his maid of all work, and called her his slave; and Jack McGeorge, the UN weapons inspector who was outed as a BDSM club leader just before the Iraq war. Explore the links between Robinson Crusoe,Uncle Tom's Cabin and modern BDSM pornography, and between fetish fashion and anti-Catholic propaganda. Learn how the 19th century middle-class household nurtured dominant-submissive sexuality. Discover the secret history of a hidden world.
Winner, 2019 Geoff Mains Non-Fiction Book Award, NLA-International
Industry Reviews
Peter Tupper's remarkably detailed work answers two key questions: Where does BDSM come from? And, even more importantly, What does it mean? Whatever your interest in kink is, A Lover's Pinch deserves a prominent spot among your references. -- Ayzad, kink educator and author of "The Sexual Explorers Manifesto"
A selective, surprising, and thoroughly enlightening journey through the cultural history of sadomasochism. Accessible yet sophisticated, A Lover's Pinch will appeal to both general and academic readers alike.
-- Umni Khan, Joint Chair in Women's Studies, Carelton University
In this wonderful history, Peter Tupper has collected an unprecedented amount of historical detail and context on BDSM practices. Clearly the result of both exhaustive research and up-close-and-personal experience with the modern BDSM community, A Lover's Pinch is filled with stories I've never heard before. It's an invaluable historical resource for sex researchers, experienced BDSMers, and newcomers alike. -- Clarisse Thorn, author of "The S&M Feminist" and internationally renowned BDSM speaker
In this historical narrative of the private world of play, pleasure, and power, writer Peter Tupper seeks to answer questions of the origins of sadomasochism. A Lover's Pinch places relationships and interactions involving corporal punishment and theatrics within the standard context of BDSM culture rooted in Freudian and Foucaultian theory. . . . A Lover's Pinch offers essential context for students examining a comprehensive history of sexuality from a global perspective. Highly recommended. * CHOICE *
A Lover's Pinch fills a void, and it dives to depths I couldn't have imagined before I started reading . . . Peter Tupper has worked hard to "get it right" * Of Sex and Love *
