The History of Corporal Punishment

First published in 1968 as Flagellation by Talis Press Ltd, London

The sexual aspect of corporal punishment is nowhere more evident than in the flagellant orders of the medieval church. The renunciation of sex by those joining holy orders ensured its inevitable return in another form. The beating of the penitent nuns and monks of cloistered sects - often before bishops and aristocrats - established a powerful link between sexuality and corporal punishment.

The suppressed erotic nature of flogging that derives from the ambivalence of pleasure and pain is present throughout history. The pitiless beatings of the Inquisition, the tight-lipped sadism of the school system that was, and the savage brutality of service and penal life are all shadowed by this erotic rage.

This fascinating book provides a shocking guide to the history and psychology of corporal punishment in all its forms, drawn from vivid first-hand accounts from medieval times up to its removal from penal and educational statutes in the twentieth century