A Dirty, Filthy Book Audiobook

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Sex and Scandal in the Victorian trial of the century

June 1877 the petite 29yearold Annie Besant stands motionless before the 75yearold Judge towering over her in the Palace of Westminster Lord Chief Justice Cockburn is presiding over the scandalous trial of the century where Annie Besant and her confidante Charles Bradlaugh have been charged with the unforgiveable crime of publishing and selling a guide to birth control Charged with obscenity she argued controversially and outrageously for the time that it was a womans right to be able to choose to have children The riveting trial over freedom of speech and the rights of women captivated the British public caused outrage across the grey Victorian establishment and helped transform Annie Besant into one of the most famous women in the Empire

Drawing on unpublished archives private papers and courtroom transcripts and an incredible cast of characters including Queen Victoria George Bernard Shaw Charles Darwin and JS Mill A Dirty Filthy Book tells a gripping story of double standards that will horrify and delight in equal measure At its heart is one of the most fascinating women of Victorian society a littleknown pioneer who singlehandedly refused to accept the role that the establishment assigned her Annies trial lit the flame of social change free speech and womens rights that is still burning around the world almost 150 years later

2024 Michael Meyer P2024 Penguin Audio