Unruly Desires

American Sailors and Homosexualities in the Age of Sail

By: William Benemann

Narrated by: Rich Miller

In its voracious hunger to fill its decks and spars with the bodies of strong young sailors, the nineteenth century US Navy and the commercial maritime industry welcomed eccentrics, criminals, outcasts, and misfits into a community of the marginalized, one that held very different values and expectations than the towns and villages from which the young men fled, a community that offered a tentative refuge to men who were sexually attracted to other men.

Drawing from biographies and autobiographies, diaries, newspapers, government reports, Congressional hearings, religious tracts, pornography, ships' logs, medical treatises, maritime fiction, court-martial reports, personal letters and business correspondence, Benemann provides an in-depth examination of nineteenth century LGBTQ culture as it developed at sea and in America's port cities.

©2019 William Benemann (P)2022 Tantor

Great listen regardless of sexual preference

Hiighly recommend. Any history bufff will like this regardless. The only book to address this subject matter.

Surprisingly funny

Great book for those interested in both queer history, and military history. And surprisingly funny at times.

Great history of a lesser known subject

Well researched and laid out.
Performance was enjoyable to listen to.
Wish it covered a longer time period but that’s not the fault of the author. Given the subject matter and I’m sure scarcity of sources just covering this period must have been a daunting task. If you are interested in gay history I highly recommend this book.

extremely academic

While this book was extremely interesting, it was also extremely academic. I found it dry at times and wish it had been more biographical rather than so ethnographic.

Earnest Informative, Very Interesting.

Audible version. I have an interest in history and when possible a quality book on LGB history is a gem. This book is a gem✨
When I stopped listening each day I was anticipated when I’d be getting back to it. I even took in in the house and listened a couple hours more a few times not wanting to stop.
The narrator did a stellar job with a wonderful. Voice. No lag or difference in the midst when you can tell they started recording a morning session w energy.
I’ll be pursuing other audible book w this narrator.
Highly recommend, I learned a lot.
Two thumbs up. 👍👍