Kinky History
A Rollicking Journey through Our Sexual Past, Present, and Future
Failed to add items
Sorry, we are unable to add the item because your shopping cart is already at capacity.
Add to basket failed.
Please try again later
Add to wishlist failed.
Please try again later
Remove from wishlist failed.
Please try again later
Adding to library failed
Please try again
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
£0.00 for first 30 days
LIMITED TIME OFFER
Get 3 months for £0.99/mo
Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.
Kinky History
Narrated by:
Esmé Louise James
Buy Now for £12.99
-
Narrated by:
-
Esmé Louise James
About this listen
Contrary to popular belief, our predecessors had all sorts of obscene hobbies long before Christian Grey hit the scene. In this enlightening romp, learn about the first instances of homosexuality on record from the ancient world and the diverse history of nonbinary gender; encounter a thousand years’ worth of hilarious and horrifying contraceptive methods; consider the positive and negative effects of the widespread availability of pornography in the digital age—and how our relationship to it changed during the pandemic; take a sneaky riffle through centuries of bedside drawers; and discover the dirty little secrets of luminaries such as Julius Caesar, James Joyce, Albert Einstein, and Virginia Woolf.
Esmé Louise James also identifies the key tipping points that directly inform current beliefs around sex to place the past in conversation with the present. By educating ourselves about the weird, wonderful, and varied spectrum of human sexuality and experience, we can normalize and destigmatize sex, write people of marginalized sexual identities back into the pages of history, and build toward a more liberated future.
Listeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
"Kinky History may not be the most fun you can have with your clothes on, because, well, you can have sex while still dressed. Regardless, Esmé Louise James’s book is a riotous romp that is entertaining, educational, empathetic, and inclusive. I loved it."—James Fell, author of On This Day in History Sh!t Went Down
“Who knew that history could be so…kinky? Esmé Louise James offers a lesson in history that you most definitely did not receive in school. She shows how, by looking into the past, we can learn a lot about sex in the present, including the root sources of sexual shame. This book shows how the path to modern sexual liberation starts with a comprehensive understanding of the history of sex, kinks and all.” —Justin J. Lehmiller, Ph.D., Host of the Sex and Psychology Podcast and author of Tell Me What You Want
"Bold and enlightening, Kinky History is a radical journey through the evolution of human intimacy. It’s a thrilling reminder of the need to break taboos and forge a sex-positive future. Not just a book, it’s a compelling call to sexual understanding and acceptance."—Chantelle Otten, author of The Sex Ed You Never Had
"A feast for the mind and the imagination, featuring histories you definitely didn't learn in school. Best served over multiple sittings, it will leave you more than satisfied."—Dr. Amy Thunig, author of Tell Me Again
"Esmé is wonderfully knowledgeable and passionate about the history of all things sex. Her unbridled enthusiasm is infectious, making it hard not to be drawn into the fascinating world of Kinky History!"—Dr. Matt Agnew, author of Dr. Matt's Guide to Life in Space
Non-fiction pick of the week: "Far from being academic, it's a tale told with relish and humor ... A colorful study, often told in a suitably picaresque style."—Sydney Morning Herald
"Friendly and accessible ... a fun book and an important one as it explores five 'kinks' that may challenge how we think about sex."—Books+Publishing
"Written with obvious relish, Kinky History is fun and informative."—ArtsHub
"Like James herself, Kinky History is hilarious, thoughtful, nuanced, and driven by academic research. It’s both a compendium of incredible historical tidbits about everything from ancient dildos to tentacle porn, and a plea to treat our sexual desires with empathy and understanding. If only every history book were as compelling, we’d be destined to never forget the past."—Dr Hallie Libermann, author of Buzz: A Stimulating History of Sex Toys
“Who knew that history could be so…kinky? Esmé Louise James offers a lesson in history that you most definitely did not receive in school. She shows how, by looking into the past, we can learn a lot about sex in the present, including the root sources of sexual shame. This book shows how the path to modern sexual liberation starts with a comprehensive understanding of the history of sex, kinks and all.” —Justin J. Lehmiller, Ph.D., Host of the Sex and Psychology Podcast and author of Tell Me What You Want
"Bold and enlightening, Kinky History is a radical journey through the evolution of human intimacy. It’s a thrilling reminder of the need to break taboos and forge a sex-positive future. Not just a book, it’s a compelling call to sexual understanding and acceptance."—Chantelle Otten, author of The Sex Ed You Never Had
"A feast for the mind and the imagination, featuring histories you definitely didn't learn in school. Best served over multiple sittings, it will leave you more than satisfied."—Dr. Amy Thunig, author of Tell Me Again
"Esmé is wonderfully knowledgeable and passionate about the history of all things sex. Her unbridled enthusiasm is infectious, making it hard not to be drawn into the fascinating world of Kinky History!"—Dr. Matt Agnew, author of Dr. Matt's Guide to Life in Space
Non-fiction pick of the week: "Far from being academic, it's a tale told with relish and humor ... A colorful study, often told in a suitably picaresque style."—Sydney Morning Herald
"Friendly and accessible ... a fun book and an important one as it explores five 'kinks' that may challenge how we think about sex."—Books+Publishing
"Written with obvious relish, Kinky History is fun and informative."—ArtsHub
"Like James herself, Kinky History is hilarious, thoughtful, nuanced, and driven by academic research. It’s both a compendium of incredible historical tidbits about everything from ancient dildos to tentacle porn, and a plea to treat our sexual desires with empathy and understanding. If only every history book were as compelling, we’d be destined to never forget the past."—Dr Hallie Libermann, author of Buzz: A Stimulating History of Sex Toys
Well researched but not my favourite narration
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The Author is outstanding and I hope she goes on to do more books or more TV shows on this topic.
Amazing and mind Opening
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Fascinating and fun
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Informative and Fun!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
It has made me more mindful about the topic sex and I now wish to reasearch more into the history of it.
100% would recommend. It is hard to put down/ pause.
Brilliant Read/Listen
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.