More and Harder [Paperback]

This book will delight men who are turned on by self-testing, physical challenge and rough-and-tough army games. Man-to-man sex is very much part of the author's 'bag' but Gay is a word some people would find hard to associate with the seriously heavy action enthusiastically described. From fledgling straight Hell's Angel (soon sussed as being "queer" but still accepted), through a phase as Gay Biker and Skinhead to an army game-playing hard-nut eager to test and be tested, it's action all the way. Essentially self-imposed, players of these intense scenarios take mutual consent for granted. However tough and seemingly violent, mutual respect shines through in every encounter described. Whether a blow by blow account of a professionally organised Escape and Evasion, capture and interrogation field exercise or a letter written to a prospective opponent / training partner, the author brings the experience alive. This allows the reader access to a sub-culture where men train hard to be fit enough to survive, submit and be forced (having previously agreed that force will be met with determined resistance) to obey. Rough sex or "A good kicking" may be either punishment or reward but, again, mutually agreed parameters ensure that the action is acceptable to everybody involved. This is no sad specimen writing about impractical fantasies. Well educated and articulate, the author knows how to describe a plausible situation however extreme while at the same time exploring the instincts that make a certain type of man welcome challenge, discomfort and risk taking. Many a super-straight, macho male could benefit by stumbling across this book in an airport or the local Smiths. And that's the great part - MORE AND HARDER is published by a company that has mainstream distribution, so the information which some people would like to suppress is out there. Men actually do the things described and get off on it. It will widen a few horizons and fill in a few gaps in general perceptions of sado-masochism and gay-ness. The action so vividly described in the book is out there. Responsible, intelligent men get to do these things.

Which brings me to my only complaint: the publishing imprint IDOL specialise in Gay Fiction and to get his story published the Author agreed to present it as fiction. Even the handcuffs in the front cover photo had to be air-brushed out before it was thought safe to allow it into British bookshops! I'm delighted that a major force like Virgin is behind publishing what many people judge to be dangerous information. Virgin's legal advisors are painfully aware that although times are a'changing, British laws related to sado-masochistic activities between mutually consenting adults remain totally fucked-up because of the infamous 'Spanner' trial. The Law Reform Society has spent several years trying to untangle the mess that bad bad judgement left, but the legal precedent is on the Statute Books and no Politician is going to risk his career trying to get the judgement reversed. So although none of the activities reported in the book are in fact criminal in intent, truth must masquerade as fiction. We must all pretend that intelligent, responsible, skilled, professional men don't do the things described in author Morgan's deliciously raunchy tale of hard men being tough on one another for their mutual fulfilment.

The games described are not everybody's cup of tea - but this book will not corrupt the reader. If you don't like the sound of such activities you will naturally steer clear of trying them. Even if you enjoy reading about them, men who envy the action described and accept that all involved have chosen to be involved and agreed the rules, will find the detail fascinating. Is it corruption or liberation the mind? - to allow people to know that people actually do these things?. Men who have grown up trying to repress persistent control-and-counter-control fantasies will learn just what some men organise for themselves and for other people.

If your instincts lead you in that direction - read it - enjoy the 'fiction' - but take it from me - there's a breed of 'blokes and mates' out there actually getting it. Jim Stewart - August '99. words 700