Anthony Comstock, roundsman of the Lord
by Heywood Broun, Margaret Leech
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1927. Illustrated. Journalist and political activist Heywood Broun and Pulitzer prize winning author Margaret Leech have written the biography of Anthony Comstock, American morals crusader. He served with the Union army in the Civil War and was later active as an antiabortionist and in advocating the suppression of obscene literature. Contents: Portrait of a Crusader; Comstock and the Freudian Lions; Boyhood and a Wintry Faith; Should I Fall; Dear M.; The Hydra-Headed Monster; Beecher and show more the Lady Brokers; Puritan in the Spotlight; The Conquest of Congress; Comstock Shows His Badge; The Palace of Restell; Fires of the Inquisition; Sniping at Lady Luck; Bouquets and Brickbats; Artistic and Classical Traps; and The Old Man. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
This is the best bio I have found of Comstock; there are not many others to choose from. I can't say it is unbiased, or is it the truth that is biased against him? Trumbull's biography is equally biased, but in Comstock's favor. Comstock's own books indict him as unbalanced.
What you think of Anthony Comstock depends upon what you think of censorship. If you think smut is dangerous, as he did, then his extremes of behavior are perhaps understandable. And you have to consider the times he lived in. But this was a man who thought that scientific treatises on the propagation of marsupials were dangerously lubricious! That unclad mannikins menaced public morality! That smut dealers deserved death. There was never a dull moment when Comstock show more was official vice hound of the U.S. Post Office. He clashed with some interesting characters. The chapter on George Francis Train is especially entertaining.
Heywood Broun summed him up best when he said, "Any given censor is a fool. The very fact that he is a censor indicates that." This is a book about censorship. The authors were against it. Good for them! show less
What you think of Anthony Comstock depends upon what you think of censorship. If you think smut is dangerous, as he did, then his extremes of behavior are perhaps understandable. And you have to consider the times he lived in. But this was a man who thought that scientific treatises on the propagation of marsupials were dangerously lubricious! That unclad mannikins menaced public morality! That smut dealers deserved death. There was never a dull moment when Comstock show more was official vice hound of the U.S. Post Office. He clashed with some interesting characters. The chapter on George Francis Train is especially entertaining.
Heywood Broun summed him up best when he said, "Any given censor is a fool. The very fact that he is a censor indicates that." This is a book about censorship. The authors were against it. Good for them! show less
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Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 1927
- People/Characters
- Anthony Comstock; George Francis Train
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, Biography & Memoir, History
- DDC/MDS
- 364.1740924 — Social sciences Social problems and social services Criminology Criminal offenses Crimes against public morals
- LCC
- HV6705 .B7 — Social sciences Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology Crimes and offenses
Statistics
- Members
- 23
- Popularity
- 1,141,982
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.50)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 1
- ASINs
- 5
