What We Did in Bed: A Horizontal History

Synopsis

A social history that pulls back the covers on the most intimate piece of furniture in our lives: &“Entertaining . . . will keep you awake long into the night.&” —Paul Chrystal, author of The History of Sweets Louis XIV ruled France from his bedchamber. Winston Churchill governed Britain from his during World War II. Travelers routinely used to bed down with complete strangers, and whole families shared beds in many preindustrial households. Beds were expensive items—and often for show. Tutankhamun was buried on a golden bed, wealthy Greeks were sent to the afterlife on dining beds, and deceased middle-class Victorians were propped up on a bed in the parlor. In this sweeping social history that spans seventy thousand years, Brian Fagan and Nadia Durrani look at the endlessly varied role of the bed through time. This was a place for sex, death, childbirth, storytelling, and sociability as well as sleeping. But who did what with whom, why, and how could vary incredibly depending on the time and place. It is only in the modern era that the bed has transformed into a private, hidden zone—and its rich social history has largely been forgotten. Includes photographs

Copyright:

2019

Book Details

Book Quality:

Publisher Quality

Book Size:

320 Pages

ISBN-13:

9780300245011

Related ISBNs:

9780300223880

Publisher:

Yale University Press

Date of Addition:

12/07/23

Copyrighted By:

Brian Fagan and Nadia Durrani

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

No

Categories:

History, Nonfiction, Home and Garden, Social Studies, Sociology

Submitted By:

Bookshare Staff

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.