The Deviant's War

The Homosexual vs. the United States of America

By: Eric Cervini

Narrated by: Vikas Adam

Length: 15 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

2021 Triangle Awards - Nominee
2021 Pulitzer Prize - Finalist
2020 Triangle Awards - Winner

"Vikas Adam draws the listener in, expertly narrating Cervini's work, which charts the beginning of the gay rights movement in the United States...Vikas Adam does an excellent job lending unique voices to real historical figures." (AudioFile Magazine)

A Publishers Weekly most anticipated spring book

From a young Harvard and Cambridge-trained historian, the secret history of the fight for gay rights that began a generation before Stonewall

In 1957, Frank Kameny, a rising astronomer working for the US Defense Department in Hawaii, received a summons to report immediately to Washington, D.C. The Pentagon had reason to believe he was a homosexual, and after a series of humiliating interviews, Kameny, like countless gay men and women before him, was promptly dismissed from his government job. Unlike many others, though, Kameny fought back.

Based on firsthand accounts, recently declassified FBI records, and 40,000 personal documents, Eric Cervini's The Deviant's War unfolds over the course of the 1960s, as the Mattachine Society of Washington, the group Kameny founded, became the first organization to protest the systematic persecution of gay federal employees. It traces the forgotten ties that bound gay rights to the Black Freedom Movement, the New Left, lesbian activism, and trans resistance. Above all, it is a story of America (and Washington) at a cultural and sexual crossroads; of shocking, byzantine public battles with Congress; of FBI informants; murder; betrayal; sex; love; and ultimately victory.

A Macmillan Audio production from Farrar, Straus and Giroux

©2020 Eric Cervini (P)2020 Macmillan Audio

Absolutely Perfect.

Loved it. It was informative, and inspirational. A story of Pride before we knew what it was.

Required reading

This was an exceptional accounting of an important history too long left untold. Cervini's book should be required reading for everyone in this country and beyond.

a must-read for any American

an amazing journey.
.. thank God for brave people...
you keep asking yourself how could this have happened

The Gay rights struggle in America.

An important detailed review of the long struggle for gay rights in America, how far we have come and the Americans who courageously did the work that got us here.

History I never knew.

This book was a history that I have never heard. The story was very interesting and flowed well. I would recommend this book for anyone wanting to learn more about the movement.

Nicely done

This book is nicely done, both as an inspiring story and as a reading performance. It is one of those books that are so good that they don't seem to be 15 hours long.

Required Reading for All Humans

I laughed, I cried, I gasped, I cheered, and I learned a lot. This book should be required for all humans. It is a lesson in compassion, in understanding, in challenging one’s beliefs, in understanding that morality is a social construct and laws are man-made, and that we are animals that are meant to grow. This book is a precedent for queer and gender studies. As with all history, if we do not understand and and appreciate it, we are doomed to repeat it. Thank you, Eric Cervini, for what I imagine was years worth of work to compile this history. I appreciate this “warts and all” reflection on the history of the American queer revolution. This epilogue felt like a springboard to future historical studies and the ever-growing progress of the queer community. Please keep writing - you have a fan for life!

Excellent research & storytelling

The Deviant’s War is an excellent read. Not only does Eric Cervini clearly demonstrate his meticulous work in researching the history, he proves that he is an excellent storyteller. I strongly recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn more about the lgbt+ movement pre-Stonewall.

Queer History We Should Know

Dr. Eric Cervini tells an important, well researched, completely engaging and riveting non fiction history about the first organized gay liberation movements in the US - with a focus on Frank Kameny as the the main protagonist. While this book is non-fiction, it’s a page turner like the most intriguing fictional novels. Bravo Dr. Cervini, Bravo!

Essential LGBT+ Reading

The Deviant’s War was a phenomenal history of LGBT+ rights movements from the 1950s to today. Written with a focus on Frank Kameny, the founder of the Mattachine Society, this book covers the creation and battles of the Mattachine Society; the Lavender Scare; the Stonewall riots and formation of Gay Liberation; and finishes with an overview from ACT-UP to 2020.

The writing was wonderful (I couldn’t put it down/turn it off), and the narration was well done. Highly recommend for early-modern LGBT+ history.