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Product Description
Review
“Hugely entertaining... Perrottet has a wonderful knack for ferreting out the obscure, the offbeat, and the just plain weird. A real eye opener.”
—Booklist
“Lots of people write about sex, and lots of people write about history, but nobody writes about either quite the way Tony Perrottet does. His well-informed wit is front and center in his latest—and, for my money—best book to date. . . . The perfect read for anyone blessed with a sense of humor and a touch of perverse curiosity.”
—Chris Ryan, New York Times-bestselling author of Sex at Dawn: The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality
"This X-rated version of “National Lampoon’s European Vacation” segues into an amusing — and absorbing — series of quests... (Perrottet) tears away Europe’s decorous historical facade he pays spirited homage to the rakes and reprobates who subscribed to Casanova’s motto: “I have devoted my life to the pursuit of pleasure.”
-- The New York Times Book Review
“Delightful and edifying... Undercover historian Tony Perrottet presents the Tour with a twist: studying the Continent’s most famous, or infamous, sites and relics associated with human sexuality, from the belle epoque brothels of Paris to a secret Vatican bathroom covered with erotic panels by Raphael.”
—Trip Lit, National Geographic Traveler
“A terrifically funny writer . . . informative and twice as quirky.
—Boston Globe
—Booklist
“Lots of people write about sex, and lots of people write about history, but nobody writes about either quite the way Tony Perrottet does. His well-informed wit is front and center in his latest—and, for my money—best book to date. . . . The perfect read for anyone blessed with a sense of humor and a touch of perverse curiosity.”
—Chris Ryan, New York Times-bestselling author of Sex at Dawn: The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality
"This X-rated version of “National Lampoon’s European Vacation” segues into an amusing — and absorbing — series of quests... (Perrottet) tears away Europe’s decorous historical facade he pays spirited homage to the rakes and reprobates who subscribed to Casanova’s motto: “I have devoted my life to the pursuit of pleasure.”
-- The New York Times Book Review
“Delightful and edifying... Undercover historian Tony Perrottet presents the Tour with a twist: studying the Continent’s most famous, or infamous, sites and relics associated with human sexuality, from the belle epoque brothels of Paris to a secret Vatican bathroom covered with erotic panels by Raphael.”
—Trip Lit, National Geographic Traveler
“A terrifically funny writer . . . informative and twice as quirky.
—Boston Globe
Product Description
Sex and travel have always been intertwined, and never more so than on the classic Grand Tour of Europe in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Today the Continent is still littered with salacious remnants of that golden age, where secret boudoirs, notorious dungeons, and forbidden artifacts lured travelers all the way from London to Capri.
In The Sinner’s Grand Tour, celebrated historian and travel writer Tony Perrottet sets off to discover a string of legendary sites and relics that are still kept far from public view. In southern France, an ancient text leads him inside the château of the Marquis de Sade, now owned by fashion icon Pierre Cardin. In Paris, an 1883 prostitute guide helps him discover the Belle Époque fantasy brothel Le Chabanais and the lost “sex chair” of King Edward VII. Renaissance documents in the Vatican Secret Archives point the way to the Pope’s very own apartments in Vatican City, wherein lies the fabled Stufetta del Bibbiena, a pornography-covered bathroom painted by Raphael in 1516.
With his unique blend of original research, sharp wit, and hilarious anecdotes, Perrottet brings us a romping travel adventure through the scandalous backrooms of historical Europe.
In The Sinner’s Grand Tour, celebrated historian and travel writer Tony Perrottet sets off to discover a string of legendary sites and relics that are still kept far from public view. In southern France, an ancient text leads him inside the château of the Marquis de Sade, now owned by fashion icon Pierre Cardin. In Paris, an 1883 prostitute guide helps him discover the Belle Époque fantasy brothel Le Chabanais and the lost “sex chair” of King Edward VII. Renaissance documents in the Vatican Secret Archives point the way to the Pope’s very own apartments in Vatican City, wherein lies the fabled Stufetta del Bibbiena, a pornography-covered bathroom painted by Raphael in 1516.
With his unique blend of original research, sharp wit, and hilarious anecdotes, Perrottet brings us a romping travel adventure through the scandalous backrooms of historical Europe.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.4 out of 5 stars (15 customer reviews)
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Buckle Your Seatbelts, May 23 2011
By Elizabeth Flock - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Sinner's Grand Tour: A Journey Through the Historical Underbelly of Europe (Paperback)
He's done it again, folks. Tony Perrottet's new book is chock full of history, humor and one-of-a-kind detail you will NOT find anywhere else. Whether you're planning a European adventure or you're looking to spice up your dinner party banter, Perrottet has got you covered. How could anyone resist titles like "Love In the Time of Body Lice" and "The Attic of Royal Sex"? I couldn't. And I consider myself the better for it. Seriously. Invite me to your next dinner and you'll see: thanks to Perrottet I'll be the life of the party. I loved his book "Napoleon's Privates"...and I love "The Sinner's Grand Tour." Maybe even a smidge more. Buy this book immediately. You won't be disappointed.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
one naughty travelogue, May 22 2011
By Susan Hitchcock - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Sinner's Grand Tour: A Journey Through the Historical Underbelly of Europe (Paperback)
I never thought learning about the more raunchy side of history could be so entertaining until I picked up this book. I highly recommend you read this naughty travelogue so you can impress and shock your friends with stories about Casanova's escape from prison and King Edward VII's sex chair. I admit this book made me blush, but it also made me laugh at how there never seems to be a lack of erotic escapades throughout history. A great read
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wickedly entertaining, May 26 2011
By John Colapinto - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Sinner's Grand Tour: A Journey Through the Historical Underbelly of Europe (Paperback)
I'm not sure who you can compare Tony Perrottet to as a writer and historian. He's as funny as Kingsley Amis when detailing his travails as a traveler and reporter (and husband and father--he tends to undertake his research jaunts with faithful wife Lesley, and exuberant small sons Henry and Sam in tow), but he's also as meticulous and resourceful as the best historians. Evidently determined to wreak vengeance on every grade school history teacher who managed to make the past seem deadly dull, Perrottet has a special talent for bringing the past vividly alive, often through illuminating corners of history that fustier heads overlook. In this instance, the sex chair. And (oh God) the "test platter." (You'll have to read the book). And then there is the chapter on Pierre Cardin and the Marquis de Sade. If there is a funnier, more harrowing, more interesting chapter in a nonfiction book this season, I'd like to know what it is. Highly recommended.
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