Author(s): Marie Stopes

Sociology | Self Help & Relationships

‘In my first marriage I paid such a terrible price for sex-ignorance that I feel that knowledge gained at such a cost should be placed at the service of humanity.’ — Marie Stopes When it was published in 1918, Marie Stopes’ Married Love became wildly popular. It was also controversial, shaking polite society with its frank advice on sex and intimacy in marriage. Today, we reissue it, with all its charm and idiosyncrasies, for a new generation of lovers. Almost a century after it appeared in print, the book described as the world’s first sex manual still has much to offer the ingénue and the experienced, giving salient advice on matters such as how to woo a woman, how to achieve sexual pleasure, and how to keep lust alive when the socks no longer come off. Containing correspondence from Stopes and her readers, and a new introduction by Clementine Ford, this fascinating text — written by one of the most progressive British feminists of her time — provides an insight into how many of our views have shifted, and surprisingly, how many have remained the same. Every couple should have this book on their nightstands.30