The first authoritative account of the Hell-Fire Clubs, who joined them, and which notorious legends about them are true The Hell-Fire Clubs scandalized eighteenth-century English society. Rumors of their orgies, recruitment of prostitutes, extensive libraries of erotica, extreme rituals, and initiation ceremonies circulated widely at the time, only to become more sensational as generations passed. This thoroughly researched book sets aside the exaggerated gossip about the secret Hell-Fire Clubs and brings to light the ...
Read More
The first authoritative account of the Hell-Fire Clubs, who joined them, and which notorious legends about them are true The Hell-Fire Clubs scandalized eighteenth-century English society. Rumors of their orgies, recruitment of prostitutes, extensive libraries of erotica, extreme rituals, and initiation ceremonies circulated widely at the time, only to become more sensational as generations passed. This thoroughly researched book sets aside the exaggerated gossip about the secret Hell-Fire Clubs and brings to light the first accurate portrait of their membership (including John Wilkes, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the Prince of Wales), beliefs, activities, and the reasons for their proliferation, first in the British Isles and later in America, possibly under the auspices of Benjamin Franklin. Hell-Fire Clubs operated under a variety of titles, but all attracted similar members-mainly upper-class men with abundant leisure and the desire to shock society. The book explores the social and economic context in which the clubs emerged and flourished; their various phases, which first involved violence as an assertion of masculinity, then religious blasphemy, and later sexual indulgence; and the countermovement that eventually suppressed them. Uncovering the facts behind the Hell-Fire legends, this book also opens a window on the rich contradictions of the Enlightenment period.
Read Less
Add this copy of The Hellfire Clubs: Sex, Satanism and Secret Societies to cart. $39.99, new condition, Sold by Opa! Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Carson City, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Yale University Press.
Add this copy of The Hellfire Clubs: Sex, Satanism and Secret Societies to cart. $50.75, very good condition, Sold by Archives Books, inc. rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Edmond, OK, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Yale University Press.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very Good jacket. 1st printing. Jacket in Very Good condition. No markings on text. Historic Oklahoma Bookstore on Route 66. Packages shipped daily, Mon-Fri.
Add this copy of The Hellfire Clubs: Sex, Satanism and Secret Societies to cart. $58.25, like new condition, Sold by Wonder Book - Member ABAA/ILAB rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Frederick, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Yale University Press.
Add this copy of The Hellfire Clubs: Sex, Satanism and Secret Societies to cart. $39.99, new condition, Sold by Cronus Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Carson City, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Yale University Press.
Add this copy of The Hellfire Clubs: Sex, Satanism and Secret Societies to cart. $41.56, good condition, Sold by BooksRun rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Philadelphia, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Yale University Press.
Add this copy of The Hellfire Clubs: Sex, Satanism and Secret Societies to cart. $81.20, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Yale University Press.
Add this copy of The Hellfire Clubs: Sex, Satanism and Secret Societies to cart. $117.74, new condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Yale University Press.
Add this copy of The Hellfire Clubs: Sex, Satanism and Secret Societies to cart. $39.00, very good condition, Sold by Earl The Pearls rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Edmond, OK, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Yale University Press.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very Good in Very Good jacket. Ex-Library. 8vo-over 7¾-9¾" tall. Ex-library Hardcover in Mylar covered DJ. Binding tight and square. Limited library marks.
