{"product_id":"a-queer-inheritance-alternative-histories-in-the-national-trust-9781781301142","title":"A Queer Inheritance: Alternative Histories in the National Trust","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A revelatory masterpiece, a true alternative history of our times' \u003c\/b\u003e- Simon Jenkins, former Chair of the National Trust\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Thoroughly researched and elegantly written' \u003c\/b\u003e- Peter Parker, \u003ci\u003eTLS\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eLGBTQ+ histories and identities come out of the National Trust's properties in these touching, poignant and revealing stories.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eNational Trust houses and landscapes might seem to embody conventional family values, but for generations some very different stories were hidden away. These belong to owners now considered queer for defying the norms of sexual orientation or gender identity - sometimes blatantly, occasionally as open secrets, but most often very discreetly. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMichael Hall explores not only the best-known examples of sexual difference, such as Lawrence of Arabia at Clouds Hill, Vita Sackville-West at Sissinghurst and the 'Dancing Marquess' at Plas Newydd; he also covers more recently unveiled stories, such as the lesbian community at Smallhythe and the homosexual scandals associated with Clumber. Then there were the quietly confirmed bachelors, keen to pass their properties and collections to the Trust for posterity... \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThese stories are set against the queer history of the National Trust itself, such as its foundation in 1895 against the backdrop of Oscar Wilde's trials; hidden queer influences within the Trust in its early days; and the role of homophobia in its reorganisation in the 1960s; and the evolution to inclusivity and understanding in the twenty-first century.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Michael Hall\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Bloomsbury Publishing PLC\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/28\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 432\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.68lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.53h x 6.29w x 1.59d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781781301142\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 02\/15\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMichael Hall\u003c\/b\u003e has published several books on architecture, country houses and collecting, including \u003ci\u003eWaddesdon Manor: The Biography of a Rothschild Hous\u003c\/i\u003ee (3rd ed., 2012), \u003ci\u003eGeorge Frederick Bodley and the Later Gothic Revival in Britain and America\u003c\/i\u003e (2014) and \u003ci\u003eArt, Passion and Power: The Story of the Royal Collection \u003c\/i\u003e(2017). A former Architectural Editor of \u003ci\u003eCountry Life\u003c\/i\u003e and Editor of \u003ci\u003eApollo\u003c\/i\u003e, he was Editor of \u003ci\u003eThe Burlington Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e from 2017 to 2024.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"booksdeli.com","offers":[{"title":"Michael Hall \/ Hardcover \/ English","offer_id":47897109135517,"sku":"9781781301142","price":42.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0619\/5648\/9373\/files\/img_a5d7a777-ead4-42f6-b06e-c3809f146507.jpg?v=1778002064","url":"https:\/\/booksdeli.com\/products\/a-queer-inheritance-alternative-histories-in-the-national-trust-9781781301142","provider":"booksdeli.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}