The Hidden Case of Ewan Forbes

Name: The Hidden Case of Ewan Forbes
Brand: Allen & Unwin
SKU: 9781526619143
Price: 24.99 NZD
Availability: OutOfStock

The Transgender Trial that Threatened to Upend the British Establishment

By Zoe Playdon

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4.06

( 521 ratings, 107 reviews)

Summary

The Hidden Case of Ewan Forbes tells the remarkable true story of Ewan Forbes, born Elisabeth Forbes in 1912, who challenged societal and legal norms by living as a man. After securing synthetic hormones and legally changing his birth certificate, Ewan faced a landmark court case in 1965 when his gender identity was contested in a battle over inheriting the family baronetcy. Drawing on law, medicine, psychology, and biology, Zoë Playdon unveils this formerly hidden history, shedding light on the challenges faced by transgender people and revealing records long suppressed from public view.
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Format: Paperback / softback

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for readers interested in transgender history, legal history, social justice, and investigative journalism, as well as those drawn to courtroom dramas and family sagas.

Description

The never-before-told story of Ewan Forbes and the landmark case that rocked British society and transformed transgender experience to this day

LONGLISTED FOR THE HISTORICAL WRITERS' ASSOCIATION CROWNS

'A remarkable story' The Times

'Almost reads like a thriller' Sunday Times

'One of the most important pieces of investigative journalism ever written about trans people’ i

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Ewan Forbes was born Elisabeth Forbes to a wealthy landowning family in 1912. It quickly became clear that the gender applied to him at birth was not correct, and from the age of six he began to see specialists in Europe for help. With the financial means of procuring synthetic hormones, Ewan was able to live as a boy, and then as a man, and was even able to correct the sex on his birth certificate in order to marry.

Then, in 1965, his older brother died and Ewan was set to inherit the family baronetcy. After his cousin contested the inheritance on the grounds that it could only be inherited by a male heir, Ewan was forced to defend his male status in an extraordinary court case, testing the legal system of the time to the limits of its understanding.

In The Hidden Case of Ewan Forbes, Zoë Playdon draws on the fields of law, medicine, psychology and biology to reveal a remarkable hidden history, uncovering for the first time records that were considered so threatening that they had been removed from view for decades.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Praised as "a remarkable story" by The Times and described as occasionally reading like a thriller by the Sunday Times, this work is noted for its skilful storytelling and vivid descriptions. Reviewers highlight the gripping blend of legal mystery, courtroom drama, and family saga driven by class, sex, and money. The Times Literary Supplement calls it a complex yet compelling account of a landmark case in trans rights, while the Herald commends Playdon for unearthing this significant history. Overall, the book offers an erudite, passionate narrative that contextualises the social history of transgender acceptance across the 20th century.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781526619143

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 07 July 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 28.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 325g

Pages: 416

Collections

Education & Reference LGBTQ+ Romance Non-Fiction Zoe Playdon

About the Author

Zoë Playdon is the Emeritus Professor of Medical Humanities at the University of London. She holds five degrees, including two doctorates. She is a former co-Chair of the Gay and Lesbian Association of Doctors and Dentists (GLADD) and, with Dr Lynne Jones MP, co-founded the Parliamentary Forum on Gender Identity in 1994, which continues to meet. Zoë has thirty years’ experience of front-line work in LGBTI human rights, including legal cases, where she has worked with many legal teams. The Hidden Case of Ewan Forbes is her first book for a mainstream audience.