A Lover's Pinch: A Cultural History of Sadomasochism

A worldwide subculture that influences everything from fashion to advertising, sadomasochism has a long and lively history. A Lover’s Pinch tells the story of consensual sadomasochism, from a controversial religious practice to a secretive sexuality branded a perversion. The origins of kink and fetish culture have been shrouded in secrecy and myths, until now. Here, Peter Tupper reveals the true story of sadism and masochism, dominance and submission. From the ancient Christian flagellants to the Fifty Shades trilogy, the history of consensual sadomasochism is a story of fascinating individuals, unlikely connections and strange twists and turns. Meet Arthur Munby, the Victorian gentleman who secretly married Hannah Cullwick, his maid of all work, and called her his slave; and Jack McGeorge, the UN weapons inspector who was outed as a BDSM club leader just before the Iraq war. Explore the links between Robinson Crusoe,Uncle Tom's Cabin and modern BDSM pornography, and between fetish fashion and anti-Catholic propaganda. Learn how the 19th century middle-class household nurtured dominant-submissive sexuality. Discover the secret history of a hidden world. Winner, 2019 Geoff Mains Non-Fiction Book Award, NLA-International

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1. Saints and Shamans Chapter 2. The Pornography of the Puritan Chapter 3. Virtue in Distress Chapter 4. Orientalism Chapter 5. The Peculiar Institution Chapter 6. Romance of the Rod Chapter 7. Class and Classification Chapter 8. Every Woman Adores a Fascist Chapter 9. The Velvet Underground Chapter 10. Unknown Pleasures Chapter 11. alt.sex Chapter 12. Sex and Power

About the Author :
Peter Tupper’s writing has appeared in Wired magazine, the Canadian Medical Association Journal, the Globe and Mail, the Utne Reader and www.TheTyee.ca. He is a co-founder of Metro Vancouver Kink, a non-profit BDSM community organization in Vancouver, BC, and remains active in the BDSM scene. He has researched and blogged about the history of consensual sadomasochism since 2005, and has presented at The Art of Loving in Vancouver, BC, the Center for Sex Positive Culture in Seattle, WA, and the 2012, 2013 and 2016 Master-slave Conferences. He has also been a guest on Graydancer’s Ropecast, the Masocast, Jack Rinella’s Leathercast, Erotic Awakening and the People of Kink podcasts. He edited and contributed to Our Lives, Our History: Consensual Master/slave relationships from ancient times to the 21st century (2016), which won the 2017 Geoff Mains Non-Fiction Book Award from the National Leather Association: International.

Review :
In this historical narrative of the private world of play, pleasure, and power, writer Peter Tupper seeks to answer questions of the origins of sadomasochism. A Lover’s Pinch places relationships and interactions involving corporal punishment and theatrics within the standard context of BDSM culture rooted in Freudian and Foucaultian theory. . . . A Lover’s Pinch offers essential context for students examining a comprehensive history of sexuality from a global perspective. Highly recommended. Whether relaying juicy stories of Victorian gentleman with (consensual) sex slaves or explaining the connection between Robinson Crusoe and modern BDSM porn, Tupper uses his own extensive experience in the BDSM and sex-positive communities to add richness, humor, and authenticity to this fascinating book. A Lover’s Pinch fills a void, and it dives to depths I couldn’t have imagined before I started reading . . . Peter Tupper has worked hard to “get it right” Peter Tupper’s remarkably detailed work answers two key questions: Where does BDSM come from? And, even more importantly, What does it mean? Whatever your interest in kink is, A Lover’s Pinch deserves a prominent spot among your references. A selective, surprising, and thoroughly enlightening journey through the cultural history of sadomasochism. Accessible yet sophisticated, A Lover's Pinch will appeal to both general and academic readers alike. In this wonderful history, Peter Tupper has collected an unprecedented amount of historical detail and context on BDSM practices. Clearly the result of both exhaustive research and up-close-and-personal experience with the modern BDSM community, A Lover’s Pinch is filled with stories I’ve never heard before. It's an invaluable historical resource for sex researchers, experienced BDSMers, and newcomers alike.