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An English Madam: Life and Work of Cynthia Payne Paperback – 14 Jul 1983

by
Paul Bailey (Author)
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Paul Bailey (Author), Cynthia Payne (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars 10 customer reviews
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£81.49 £8.16

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Product details

  • Paperback: 176 pages
  • Publisher: Fontana Press; New edition edition (14 July 1983)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0006364896
  • ISBN-13: 978-0006364894
  • Product Dimensions: 17.2 x 11 x 1.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 375,533 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

The story of the English woman who became a madam who was acquitted of running a brothel at her home. She achieved national press coverage when it was revealed she was accepting "Luncheon Vouchers" as payment for sex parties.

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Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsEverything you ever wanted to know about Cynthia Payne.
By Sarah Tipper TOP 1000 REVIEWER on 29 Aug. 2015
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
I hadn’t truly considered what it was like for a woman who enjoys sex to live before the invention of the contraceptive pill until I read this book. Young Cynthia had a miserable life but went on to have a lot of fun and provide a lot of fun. I am impressed by how she got her gardening and housework done. I was too young to read about the prosecution of Cynthia Payne in the eighties but this book covers it in as much detail as I wanted (there is a book by Gloria Walker about the trial if this is where your interests lie). Cynthia’s forward thinking attitudes to sex are admirable and refreshing and explored extensively in this book. Cynthia is such a character, broad-minded and kind and she’s really lived according to what feels right to her, not what feels right to society.
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5.0 out of 5 starsWonderful book about a great lady
By L. R. Fisher on 15 Nov. 2015
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
RIP Cynthia Payne. This is a good example of that small genre - working-class women writing about their own lives. (If you like this, try Sheila Smith, Alida Baxter and Sarah Shaw.) OK, Cynthia had the help of Paul Bailey, who was also a friend of hers. Payne's early life was so grim that when she becomes a prostitute you almost want to cheer! She always managed to gather a rather odd entourage around her, who helped her furnish her first brothel. She got hold of the lease of a large flat and, to make money, hired the rooms out to prostitutes. (The furniture was quite specialised.) Payne's own bondage outfit was created to the specifications of another client. There are some harrowing moments, though. The book clearly provided some of the background for Vera Drake.
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4.0 out of 5 starsNot like the film
By GeordieReader on 28 Jan. 2014
Format: Paperback
If you want a book of the film, don't buy this, because while the film was funny and saucy, this is a a more serious account of the life of Cynthia Payne. Bailey is clearly sympathetic and although Payne is notorious for the 'luncheon vouchers' sex scandal, there is much more to her than this. It's no surprise that while she went to prison the men who paid for her services got of scot free.
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3.0 out of 5 starsgreat read
By prettybaby on 6 Jan. 2012
Format: Paperback
I purchased this booked used and in good condition, it was very manky! It was an entertaining read however no where near as good as the DVD about her life in Personnal Services.
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5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars
By El on 27 Oct. 2015
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
Good condition
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