Decadence Mandchoue: The China Memoirs of Sir Edmund Trelawny Backhouse
"Few in [Sir Edmund Backhouse’s] time wrote so brazenly . . . about surging homosexual desire and its unbridled practice in such an exotic setting. This edition makes available to readers, for the first time, a little gem of English erotic literature from the pen of a very queer Englishman abroad."  —Robert Aldrich, professor of European history, University of Sydney“Though Backhouse’s credibility must certainly be challenged, does this mean that we discard all of Décadence Mandchoue automatically? His reputation as a source of Peking information has not been seriously challenged and even if he was relaying gossip, this was gossip that was taken seriously.”  —Frances Wood, Chinese curator, British Library“In retrospect, the cultural transgressiveness of Sir Edmund seems to me much more worthy of appreciation than his sexual unconventionality.”  —T. H. Barrett, professor of East Asian history, University of London“Derek Sandhaus has done a fantastic work in editing this text . . . . For readers interested in literature (notably travel literature) on the one hand and sexuality on the other, its value is obvious and indisputable.”  —Vincent Goosaert, adjunct professor of religious and cultural studies, Chinese University of Hong Kong"One of the most outrageous, colourful and hilarious memoirs ever written."  —Frank Dikotter, chair of humanities, University of Hong Kong, and author,Mao's Great Famine"Outrageous . . . Backhouse's memoirs remain historically highly controversial." —Daily Telegraph(April 1, 2011)"[A] remarkable account . . . " —South China Morning Post(April 3, 2011)