Review : Sex, anybody?

Who can resist Richard Gordon’s cheeky romp through The Alarming History of
Sex? (Sinclair-Stevenson, £20, ISBN 1 85619 493 0). This so-called
“history” really comprises a haphazard and Anglocentric anthology of the
author’s favourite stories and titbits on the subject. Elizabeth I’s virginity,
Jack the Ripper, Freud and the suffragettes all jostle for an equal say. Expect
laughter, not titillation, and a deceptively informative foray into humanity’s
favourite subject.