Reviews and Praise

“This X-rated version of National Lampoon’s European Vacation segues into an amusing—and absorbing—series of quests. . . . (Perrottet) tears away Europe’s decorous historical facade he pays spirited homage to the rakes and reprobates who subscribed to Casanova’s motto: ‘I have devoted my life to the pursuit of pleasure.’ ”
—The New York Times

“Lots of people write about sex, and lots of people write about history, but nobody writes about either quite the way Tony Perrottet does. His well-informed wit is front and center in his latest—and, for my money—best book to date. . . . The perfect read for anyone blessed with a sense of humor and a touch of perverse curiosity.”
—Chris Ryan, New York Times-bestselling author of Sex at Dawn: The Prehistoric Origins of Modern Sexuality

“In his delightful and edifying new book, The Sinner’s Grand Tour, undercover historian Tony Perrottet presents the Tour with a twist: studying the Continent’s most famous, or infamous, sites and relics associated with human sexuality, from the belle epoque brothels of Paris to a secret Vatican bathroom covered with erotic panels by Raphael. Conducting his randy research under the guise of a family vacation, Perrottet weaves the misadventures of his admirably understanding wife and precocious boys into this nicely naughty narrative.”
—Trip Lit, National Geographic Traveler

“Takes us on a lively, hugely entertaining journey through the parts of Europe you won’t find in most, shall we say, reputable historical guides. . . . Perrottet has a wonderful knack for ferreting out the obscure, the offbeat, and the just plain weird (e.g., the fact that one of his forbears worked for de Sade as a “personal assistant of some sort”). A real eye opener.”
—Booklist

“Tantalizing historical research, funny family complications. . . . A well-researched, amusing recollection of one family’s offbeat holiday trek to the naughty nooks of Europe.
—Kirkus Reviews

“A terrifically funny writer . . . informative and twice as quirky.
—Boston Globe

“It’s so great to have a truly funny (and poetic) writer putting the lurid colors back on the pale marble, where they belong. . . . Full of the ‘get-a-load-of-this’ factor—those juicy, vivid stories you can’t wait to tell your friends. To my mind, that quality is the distinguishing trait of great nonfiction.”
—Teller of Penn & Teller, entertainer in Las Vegas

“Popular history at its best.”
—Norman Cantor, Professor Emeritus of History, New York University.

“It’s refreshing to find such an entertaining writer whose history is also meticulously researched. Perrottet’s take on the past is erudite, original and witty—even, frequently, hilarious.”
—Paul Cartledge, Professor of Classics, Cambridge University

“Perrottet has always had a divine talent for bringing the past to life, and infusing the most arcane and salacious tale with a sense of place. This laugh-out-loud book might be his magnum opus.”
—David Farley, author of An Irreverent Curiosity: In Search of the Church’s Strangest Relic in Italy’s Oddest Town