Benjamin Roberts

Binge drinking and illicit sex were just as common in the Dutch Golden Age as they are today, if not more so. Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll in the Dutch Golden Age is a compelling narrative about the generation of young men that came of age in the Dutch Republic during the economic boom of the early seventeenth century. Contrary to their parents' wishes, the younger generation grew up in luxury and wore extravagant clothing, grew their hair long, and squandered their time drinking and smoking. They created a new youth culture with many excesses; one that we today associate with the counterculture generation of the 1960s. With his engaging storytelling style and humorous anecdotes, Roberts convincingly reveals that deviant male youth behavior is common to all times, especially periods when youngsters have too much money and too much free time on their hands.

Tervetuloa Pohjoismaiden suurimpaan verkkokirjakauppaan! Adlibris kannattaa sananvapautta, ja haluamme edistää kirjallisuuden ja tiedon saatavuutta.

Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll in Rembrandt’s Time focuses on the generation of rich young men that grew up in the seventeenth century in the Dutch Republic. These men had more money to spend on clothes, music, and recreation than the generation before them. This fascinating account of male adolescence in the Dutch Republic reveals how young men including Rembrandt van Rijn disregarded conservative values and rebelled against the older generation, and consequently created a new youth culture that was similar to the one of the 1960s. They had long hair, wore colorful and extravagant clothing, and started taking drugs. Theirs was the first generation in European history to smoke tobacco. Moreover, they defied conventional norms and values with their promiscuity and by singing lewd songs in their free time. With his engaging storytelling-style filled with humorous anecdotes, Roberts convincingly shows how deviant male youth behavior is a feature of all ages, especially in periods when youngsters have too much free time and money.

Bottled tells the story of English football's complicated relationship with booze through the experiences of the players who found themselves in crisis when they could no longer put it down - from George Best and Paul Gascoigne to Tony Adams and Paul Merson, as well as many others who escaped the headlines. Footballers play under intense pressure in the unforgiving glare of the media spotlight. But what do their stories tell us about ourselves? Are some challenges they face specific to a player's lifestyle? With insights from those at the sharp end, here is an examination of footballers in need and the help available from the industry. Untangling the complex web of links between alcohol and the beautiful game, Bottled explores the stories that characterised the origins of many of England's clubs, as churches and breweries vied for the souls of young men. From trashed hotel rooms to the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous via the China Jump club, Bottled navigates the journey from the stars to the gutter and, sometimes, back again.

Benjamin Roberts's d but novel, "The Girl I Knew", is the story of two very different people - Zana, a high-flying but deeply troubled girl, and Lionel, a failed music lawyer with an eccentric and unconventional character, and the dawning recognition of their link in a mystery triggered by a shattering psychic event which involves the legacy of a wartime musical opera singer, of the mountain villages of High Albania and of the victims of communism in the Cold War. A story of love, betrayal and redemption.

Sex and Drugs Before the Rock ’n’ Roll is a fascinating volume that presents an engaging overview of what it was like to be young and male in the Dutch Golden Age. Here, well-known cohorts of Rembrandt are examined for the ways in which they expressed themselves by defying conservative values and norms. This study reveals how these young men rebelled, breaking from previous generations: letting their hair grow long, wearing colorful clothing, drinking excessively, challenging city guards, being promiscuous, smoking, and singing lewd songs. Cogently argued, this study paints a compelling portrait of the youth culture of the Dutch Golden Age, at a time when the rising popularity of print made dissemination of new cultural ideas possible, while rising incomes and liberal attitudes created a generation of men behaving badly.