A Dirty, Filthy Book

Makes the case for Annie Besant as a truly eminent Victorian, as brilliant and fearless as she was beautiful . . . [A] witty and entertaining account * The Times, Book of the Week * Drawn from newspaper accounts, court records, and Besant's own memoir, Meyer's depiction of Besant fighting for reproductive rights, almost 150 years ago, is truly marvellous . . . Meyer succeeds admirably in his efforts to bring to light the story of a truly remarkable and courageous woman -- Kate Lister * Daily Telegraph * Michael Meyer deserves hearty congratulations for returning a remarkable woman to centre stage, where she belongs -- Jane Robinson * Times Literary Supplement * Michael Meyer has mined the rich seams of history and woven together a fascinating and gripping narrative. Beautifully told, it has echoes for today. I don’t know how he does it -- Adam Hochschild, author of KING LEOPOLD'S GHOST Annie Besant was a freethinker and a half – an indomitable woman who challenged many of the discriminatory views of her day and put all her energies into social change. A great read -- Prof. Helen Pankhurst CBE, Women’s Rights Campaigner Hugely entertaining, told with verve and humour, with a riveting court trial at its heart. A terrific study of the Victorian controversy and criminalisation of contraception and the dire consequences for women of confusing medicine with morals. At last, Annie Besant has found a champion equal to the task of doing justice to her crusading life and the significance of her achievements. Victorian patriarchy denied Besant her rightful place in political history: Michael Meyer has reinstated her, in all her glorious complexity, as the pioneering feminist changemaker in Britain's history of morals, censorship and sex -- Rachel Holmes, author of SYLVIA PANKHURST and ELEANOR MARX At a time when reproductive rights are being rolled back globally, as well as worryingly close to home, [Besant's] story needs retelling until its message is set in stone * Guardian * Meyer interweaves Besant's multifaceted life into an engaging prose, full of intriguing details * BBC History Magazine * Splendidly researched . . . A superbly written model for those who aspire to write significant but accessible history . . . The book fizzes along -- Bob Forder * The Freethinker *