Deep Sniff

3, 2, 1... sniff deep. A quick rush from sniffing poppers comes to you from the nineteenth century, via ruthless business practices, police raids and a booming online sex subculture. The story of poppers starts with experiments on frogs legs and the Victorian doctor who first found a use for amyl nitrite in relieving angina pain. It moves through the development of the pharmaceutical industry in the twentieth century, the capitalist creation of the "ideal" gay male, a raid on the Royal Vauxhall Tavern in 1986, and the porn supercuts that encourage viewers to "goon out" online. This book is not just a history. It is a collection of fresh and provocative ideas about identity, sex, capitalism, law, freedom and the bodies that we use to experience the world. And it explores the startling connections between Victorian infirmaries, Studio 54 and cam sex subcultures. Deep Sniff: A History of Poppers and Queer Futures tells the tale of a drug and uncovers the queer potential inside us all.