London, 1877. A petite young woman stands before an all-male jury, about to risk everything. She takes a breath, and opens her defence.
Annie Besant and her confidant Charles Bradlaugh are on trial for the sordid crime of publishing and selling a birth control pamphlet. Remarkably - forty-five years before the first woman will be admitted to the English bar - Annie is defending herself. Before Britain's highest judge she declares it is a woman's right to choose when, and if, to have children. At a time when women were legally and socially subservient to men, Annie's defiant voice was a sensation. The riveting trial scandalised newspapers, captivated the British public and sparked a debate over morals, censorship and sex.
Drawing on unpublished archives, private papers and courtroom transcripts - and featuring an incredible cast including Queen Victoria, George Bernard Shaw and London itself - A Dirty, Filthy Book tells the gripping story of a forgotten pioneer who refused to accept the role the Establishment assigned to her. Instead, she chose to resist.
| ISBN: | 9780753559925 |
| Publication date: | 8th February 2024 |
| Author: | Michael Meyer |
| Publisher: | WH Allen an imprint of Ebury Publishing |
| Format: | Hardback |
| Pagination: | 400 pages |
| Genres: |
Social and cultural history Feminism and feminist theory Ethical issues: abortion and birth control Biography: historical, political and military Human rights, civil rights Legal history European history |