This work is intended to explain and demystify the world of sadomasochism (SM). It is neither a political statement nor scientific research. It is a discussion of SM, what it means to its practitioners, how it is practised, and the structure of its subculture in contemporary American society. Like a[...]

An updated edition of this comprehensive narrative history, first published in 1989, incorporating a new chapter on the latest developments in Russian literature and additional bibliographical information. The individual chapters are by well-known specialists, and provide chronological coverage from[...]