A History of Rape: Sexual Violence in France from the 16th to the 20th Century

"Presents an excellent social interpretation of rape and sexual violence ... easy and interesting to read. Although the examination of rape takes place in France, the major themes of the book are applicable to most Western countries. It is extremely well researched and a valuable resource to anyone interested in changing attitudes to sexuality and sexual crimes."
Medical Sociology News

"Littered with interesting insights."
Times Literary Supplement

"Georges Vigarello has written a fascinating sensitive and nonsensational history of rape and sexual violence in France over the course of the last five centuries ... this English translation is a welcome edition for all scholars interested in what society, the courts, the law, and culture considered as rape or sexual violence ... Vigarello is to be highly commended for undertaking this difficult research and for producing an importnant work on the subject."
American Historical Review

"An excellent survey of the evolution of popular, learned, and juridical attitudes toward rape, this work is suitable for students as well as scholars."
The Historian