Queers in History: The Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Historical Gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals,   ISBN:9781933771878

Customer Rating: 

I could not put this book down, it's like a bag of potato chips; once you start, you can't stop. The importance of this book is in the title "Queers in History", what made them famous, infamous, was not just their sexuality but their sense of purpose. But did their sexuality play an important part in it? Most likely because what drives gay, straight, bi people are their goals in life, and their decisions in life are made emotionally, what they feel, what they need, what fuels their passions.

Keith Stern's book is not just a historical look at homosexuality but it brings to the forefront what is the common denominator of us all, the search for our own "place in the world". I highly recommend this book as a gift to all your straight, gay, bi, transexual friends and as a book to place on the coffee table to start lively conversations at any social gathering.

Customer Rating: 

Fascinating book. Well written. Stern pulls History out of the closet. This is an interesting and informative read whether you are gay or straight.

Customer Rating: 

Stern, Keith. "Queers in History: The Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Historical Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transgenders", Benbella Books, 2009.

Everything You Need to Know

Amos Lassen

Keith Stern has done an admirable job compiling his encyclopedia and his lists are comprehensive even if his suggestions for further reading are no where near comprehensive and even a bit far from elementary. I do not consider the Alyson Almanac to qualify as a good source. Nor do I think that if you want to know more about Tennessee Williams that Maria St. Just's "Five O'Clock Angel" is the place to look--Williams did write his memoirs and there are several other biographies about him around. Otherwise I have no real complaints. The book is exhaustive and somewhat picante but it is not by any means definitive or scholarly. For what it is, it isn't bad and more than 500 pages about gay people can never be a bad thing.