Nudism Books

This is an invaluable resource for anyone who wishes to discuss either nudism or the naturist movement. I have been reading about nudism for over ten years now and this book have me volumes of information I had never heard before. It's terse and at times stilted, but just invaluable. Good illustrations, too. A sure win!

This book covers alot of ground. Gordon Kennedy's book is an overview of both the people and various counter-culture movements within Germany from the late-19th to mid-20th century. For those looking for heavy historical background on the various movements, this might not be for you except perhaps to augment other works. This is, as it says on the cover, a pictorial anthology primarily with a basic history of each. It is the pictures that make this work both intriguing and invaluable. Published on the 2000th anniversary of Tacitus' "Germania" and definately shows pagan cracks in the Christian pavement. :) Personally, I loved the works of Fidus that are reprinted in this work. The only problem that I had was that it wasn't long enough, though that doesn't detract from the work itself. :) Also, if you are diehard in your beliefs that hippies and the counter-culture movement started in the 1960's...prepare for a harsh awakening.

This book is a series of biographical sketches of figures in nature-centered countercultural movements of the 19th to early 20th centuries. These sketches are no more informative than Wikipedia entries and the book is mostly photographs anyhow. As another reviewer has also noted, the printing quality of the photos is low. But mostly, the accompanying text contains no analysis or context. The only thing this book is good for is giving modern hippies who want to believe they are part of a long-standing cultural movement a peg to hang their beliefs on.

I was interested in this book because I wanted to understand the connection between WWII-era Austria and California that brought Arnold Schwarzenegger here. You won't get any insight into such questions from this book other than the observation that some these German body-culturists traveled to California (but why?).

This book is wonderful-it provides the history and background of the early counterculture in Germany. There is wonderful art and even some glossy photos. The people are beautiful, along with the ideas they support. I highly recommend it for the great insight and perspective one can experience just through flipping the pages. I also read this book for the information on acclaimed authors that sprang out of this time and place in history-for instance Hermann Hesse.

A treasury of vintage photographs documenting the personages and groups of turn-of-the-century naturist movements (including nudism, organic farming, naturopathy, etc.) accompanied by brief biographical sketches and artwork from the period by Fidus. Makes evident that naturism in modern times arose out of specific metaphysical and ethical philosophies and life-practices. With index and bibliography, this slim volume represents a substantial contribution to nudist studies.

This book in my opinion is the best book on introducing people to nudism. The author used a straight forward approach to all aspects of clothing optional recreation. The author, who is on the cover, passed away as the book went to press but contributor Marilyn Lovell works and plays a big role at the clothing optional resort Avalon in Paw Paw, West Virginia.

About the book:

He's a curmudgeon and declares himself one in the introduction, even if he doesn't use that term. The writing style is crusty, earthy and very easy to read, even though he has more then a few axes to grind.

With the caution of telling them it is a overview and one man's opinion, I would give this book to someone new to the nudist lifestyle. He does not go into details with many of his comentaries, so I don't really consider it a guidebook or manual. In many ways it really the story of his moving from a city highrise apartment to a trailer in a quiet resort.

4 out 5 stars for the lack of detail.

About the writing:

It would be possible to critically rake this book over the coals for much of its style and flow, but as it was written in the brief time Mr. Penhallow had left in his life, many of its sins can be forgiven. However, I do wish that Ms. Lovell had exercised her editorial/rewrite control as there are several dangling references and repeated comentaries that needed to be completed or removed.

Also don't let the title fool you, anyone who has trailers at 2 different resorts, a 5-ton truck to move the "essentials" between the 2 and 4 microwaves, cannot be called parsimonious and barely be called frugal. ;)

This book is great. Since I have gotten it I threw away all of my drawers and trousers. I am nude all of the time. I really like to sit on my head like the guy on the cover. I do it alot. And then it hurts. I have to ice my head down after. When I do it, somethimes people walk by and go "wooooah". It is pretty awesome. Then they sometimes say things like "we should do that". When I am standing on my head I also like to pretend that I am a space-man with upside-down eyes.

Living Naked serves as a valuable handbook for those seriously considering nudism or for nudists pondering moving to a nudist park. Although this book was composed while author Paul Penhallow was terminally ill, he and Marilyn Lovell avoid the pithy sentimentality and stay on-task by guiding the reader through the pros and cons of a decision to live nude. The non-gratuitous profanity relays the author's conversational tone and authenticity. Like the various publications of Naturist Life International, such as the NLI quarterly magazine, Living Naked states a strong case for the benefits of nude living.

Since i read this i have thrown all of my drawers and trousers out the window. I now have no clothes and act like the dude on the cover. I love to stand on my head. It hurts after awhile. Then I ice it down. While I am on my head, however, it is pretty cool. All of these people walk by and they are like "wooooaaaahh". It is pretty funny. Then they say something like "we should do that". It is definitely worth getting good at. I also like to pretend I am a space-man with upside-down eyes.

From the preface (which I think is very well written):

"Does exposure to nudity cause sexual hang-ups in children? Will an open physical environment have negative effects on the personalities and sexual development of young people? Will seeing their parents nude cause children to develop what some experts call an over-balanced attachment to mother and father, and seduction anxiety? Or, as other experts believe, will nude experiences in the physically open family inevitably lead to incest, create terrible guilts and frustrations, and arouse parent-child rivalries? Will the children in families where nudity is common be the victims of more school failures and posess more sexual obsessions than those reared in families where nudity is not allowed? [...]

"[This] is the report on a study which addresses the questions listed above and gives the reader a chance to compare the opinions of the experts with the real-life experiences of adults who grew up in open physical environments. This book is the result of five years of research and writing plus added years for follow-up on some of the cases. _Growing Up Without Shame_ represents the first systematic attempt at studying the effects of a physically open environment. We know this study is the first. We hope it is not the last."

I found this book an easy, enjoyable read; it appears to give serious consideration to the topic, reviewing experts' opinions and researching the views of people who grew up in open environments. A more technical examination of the data from the research is given in an appendix.

Also contains a number of b&w photos from nudist environments, although these photos seem purely to brighten up the pages, since they have no direct connection to the text where they are placed.

This book was published before the Terror and contains beautiful, uncensored text and photos. There is no similar work available in English on the important subject of nudity and shame. While not as scholarly as Hans Peter Duerr's "Nudity and Shame: the myth of the civilizing process" (in German), this book offers welcome balance to the mass hysteria over child sexuality in the U.S. The fanatics haven't yet targeted this book for burning so read it before books like this are silenced forever.

This book's a bombshell! It's the first (five year) study into the effects of social nudity (they use this word purposefully, for many of the people surveyed were raised in a clothing-optional environment but never were into nudism per se) on children growing up. I anticipated some good reading and to say I wasn't disappointed, would be a gross understatement.

This is a compelling book. Here is a carefully constructed survey that puts down in black-and-white the facts about children who grew up within nudism/naturism.

What The Naked Child has to say about the prevalent thinking about nudity in our society regarding the rearing of children is telling. The author also gives a brief history of clothing taboos as well - very informative and edifying.

A great deal of the content is given over to interviews with children reared in clothing-optional homes and covered such topics as attitudes toward nudity, sexual histories and predilections and relationships with parents. Many probing, frank questions were asked of each respondent to get a feel for each person's unique experiences.

As far as I'm concerned, this book is powerful stuff and a key book in any library. Though the authors freely admit that it only scratches the surface of the subject, the material covered already trashes the so-called "experts" unfounded, unverified suppositions that nudity around kids is inherently harmful.

If you've been looking for information to counter the prattling of doctors, teachers, church leaders, parents and relatives against raising kids in a socially nude environment, this book's the one to read. You'll thank yourself for taking the time. Trust me on this - you won't be disappointed.

Would you expect a nudist to say anything bad about nudism? Well, yes, actually, you would. This book is a decent treatment of the world of naturism and nudism and how it affects those children who live in it. If you're expecting an open forum, though, you won't find it here. This is a book by nudists for nudists -- useful, but not definitive. In addition, a more modern treatment may reveal some more disturbing trends. A good start, but the careful reader will not stop here.

This is one of the only well researched books on the effects of child nudity. Contains several photos of the children in various naturist settings

On my opion I would say,"This is a book of a rare subject not spoken of much at all",because many people have those immediate incorrect thoughts of nudism they've no idea of what the words,"NATURISM" and/or "NATURIST" are,"I believe reading this book would help a person both mental and physical."The individual would learn and become more understanding of this subject there is a vocabulary benefit in it and what I mean physical is, he or she might experience the relax and clothes freedom feelings and become a naturist."

Nude in Public
This is a great 'first-timer's' look into something that many may find interesting. It is a great 'how to' or 'what if' examination into naturism and areas where it is acceptable as well as providing helpful internet links and contact information. The author takes the reader by the hand through everything addressing concerns for both male and female alike. Very helpful.

If you're a beginner, this is the book you're looking for. I found the answers for most of my questions in here. A good personal experience.

This meticulous investigation into the Weimer Republic's naturist movements and its concurrent naked dance training/choreographic styles (together with the criticism/photography associated with them) will surely stand as the definitive study of these complex issues for many years to come. The dense chapters of this book serve up a most original interpretation of the ways in which "liberating divestiture" entered into the construction of the "identity of the avant-garde intelligentsia" through the visual presentation of the "modern body." Toepfer argues that both naturism and naked dance/ gymnastics aimed to break through the rationalizations for mass culture in a search of "transcendent" possibilities. In doing so, he takes advantage of much unpublished archival material and rare photographs. Quite a few of both are reprinted here. Perhaps one of the most interesting findings of this study is the central role played by women in the aesthetic enterprise between the Wars. A 23 page bibliography completes this important achievement. Toepfer is Professor of Theatre Arts at San Jose State University (California).

erterter

This book is positively fascinating for about the first half. You find out about the "nude dance" craze of the Weimar Republic and the dancers/dances/movements it inspired.

However, Toepfer's work is SO complete, SO intricate, it comes off more like a doctoral thesis than a book.

As pure reportage, it's a fine volume. But I kept waiting for some kind of idea of what the author thought about all of this; was it fascinating or does he just think it was weird? We never really find out.

Still, some of the images he leaves you with makes you wish you could transport yourself back to some of these obviously sensual and often bizarre performances to see them for yourself.

If you're a fan of dance history, or a nudist, I recommend this book. But don't be surprised if you put it down long before you finish; this is definitely more than most people would really want (or need) to know.

It should come as no suprise that a book about the rural areas of Vermont will have much to say about public nudity. This book, and its sequel VUII are a product of that state's most famous nudist. Mr. Cunningham and his family wrote the book on public nudity in Vermont. The book visits the many popular spots where one would be likely to encounter regular folks engaged in a skinnydip. Good quality photographs, coupled with detailed descriptions of every site are there. This book is not your father's nudism; no hedonism or 50's idylic portrayals. Just contemporary portrayals of mixed nudity in public, which in Vermont is apparently the norm. Surprise, this book is authored by one of the country's most outspoken defenders of the Catholic faith, and quite conservative in his views as well. Go figure. Wow, what a book.

This book is for anyone that believes that the human body should be celebrated and not hidden. It is the ultimate guide for naturalists living or visiting Vermont. Every naturalist resort, every skinning dipping site and every clothing optional hiking trail is well documented. I encourage all naturalists to get a copy and follow the format to make guides to naturalist sites in your states and locations. Nudity is natural, not obscene.

The latest edition of the "World Guide" is better than ever. I've purchased most of the other guides for clothing-optional recreation available in English, and the "World Guide" covers many more nude hot springs, free beaches, and nudist clubs than anything else in print. I've been to most of the places in the Pacific Northwest that the guide talks about, and so far the directions and descriptions have been accurate and up to date. I take xeroxed copies of relevant pages with me as my wife and I travel from state to state, and from country to country. The photography is also fantastic. The publisher is not ashamed of using complete nudity, but it is not at all "racy." I've shown this book to my friends to help explain what naturism is all about.

It's true you have to double check the info -- but he tells you that several times -- every one know that goes double outside the US -- but it is a very good resource and starter guide for those new to this -- as long as you remember that things are always changing out there -- this is diffently a good place to start

The best of the best of the best. Accurate, diverse, brilliant photography. A classis without peer.

Every spot that the book reccomended that I visited (Kauai, West Indies) were no longer clothing optional or not friendly. A waste of money.

unfortunately it is not very accurate. Of cource I havent tried every place in the book there are hundreds but it leaves out some very important facts like it is true that there is a nude area in Manuel Antonio park in costa rica but the book forgets to tell you that it is gay! Be very careful about the info on California thought it is very good at getting you there it is not accurate on what gos on there. An expensive book that just has not been very useful to me.

This is not a "social history" of mid-20th century nudist magazines, but is instead a sampler: the book contains reprints of actual articles that appeared in the various magazines of this type. Strange as it may seem to anyone under 40, there was a time when photos of full frontal nudity were equated with the vilest pornography. For the first 15 years or so of its existence (until about 1970), neither Playboy magazine nor any of its imitators printed photos containing visible pubic hair. Though never attaining the social acceptability of National Geographic (or even coming close), the nudist magazines of this era filled much the same niche: providing male readers with photos of nude females in a non-sexual, non-pornographic context, that, for the most part, successfully thwarted the efforts of vice squads and the plethora of self-appointed censors.

Generally, these magazines accurately portrayed nudist life. Again, the under-40 crowd may not be aware that traditional nudist/naturist establishments were NOT similar to the clothing-optional resorts which abound now, which in many cases are little more than "swingers' clubs." Rather, they were (and are) self-styled health resorts where overt sexuality was forbidden.

On the other hand, the magazines understandably were designed more to promote the lifestyle than to portray it accurately. "Exhibit A" in support of my statement has to be the preponderance of females in the photos. Those who have engaged in any sort of "clothing optional" activity are aware that males constitute about 55-60% of the participants (while in the Bible Belt and other less-enlightened areas, the disparity is even higher). Yet, the overwhelming number of photos in these magazines are of women, typically under 40. There are of course photos of nude men, though typically depicted with women---often the men being in the background. But, understandable, since the target audience was heterosexual men.

But, every era has its witches to hunt---and to burn---and our "enlightened" era is no different. Let the buyer beware: this book contains photos of nude children. The same under-40 crowd should know that in years past, it was not considered shocking for pre-pubescent children (especially boys) to be nude in a family context, in full view of adults and older siblings. Pictures taken with the family Brownie camera of the kids skinny-dipping could be brought to the local drugstore for developing with little fear even of a negative comment. Nowadays, dad would be arrested as a pedophile! Obviously, the photos of nude teens and pre-teens were published at the time to further illustrate the "family" aspect of nudism. Pedophilia was the furthest from the publishers' minds. But, times change.

It was the changing times that caused their demise. With the advent of commercially-available pornographic magazines and movies in the 1970s, there was to no longer a market for these magazines. Too bad.

Lange is the master , though he did not know it of the fifties and sixties. His families are luminous, the fathers strong and the mothers loving,,, and the kids.....just beautiful. Nature at its best.True beautiful nakedness before the age of the far right. Buy this book now.

Unfortunately, I can't write a detailed review...I returned the magazine shortly after ordering it. I just recall being overly disappointed with it.

This is not a "social history" of mid-20th century nudist magazines, but is instead a sampler: the book contains reprints of actual articles that appeared in the various magazines of this type. Strange as it may seem to anyone under 40, there was a time when photos of full frontal nudity were equated with the vilest pornography. For the first 15 years or so of its existence (until about 1970), neither Playboy magazine nor any of its imitators printed photos containing visible pubic hair. Though never attaining the social acceptability of National Geographic (or even coming close), the nudist magazines of this era filled much the same niche: providing male readers with photos of nude females in a non-sexual, non-pornographic context, that, for the most part, successfully thwarted the efforts of vice squads and the plethora of self-appointed censors.

Generally, these magazines accurately portrayed nudist life. Again, the under-40 crowd may not be aware that traditional nudist/naturist establishments were NOT similar to the clothing-optional resorts which abound now, which in many cases are little more than "swingers' clubs." Rather, they were (and are) self-styled health resorts where overt sexuality was forbidden.

On the other hand, the magazines understandably were designed more to promote the lifestyle then to portray it accurately. "Exhibit A" in support of my statement has to be the preponderance of females in the photos. Those who have engaged in any sort of "clothing optional" activity are aware that males constitute about 55-60% of the participants (while in the Bible Belt and other less-enlightened areas, the disparity is even higher). Yet, the overwhelming number of photos in these magazines are of women, typically under 40. There are of course photos of nude men, though typically depicted with women---often the men being in the background. But, understandable, since the target audience was heterosexual men.

But, every era has its witches to hunt---and to burn---and our "enlightened" era is no different. Let the buyer beware: this book contains photos of nude children. The same under-40 crowd should know that in years past, it was not considered shocking for pre-pubescent children (especially boys) to be nude in a family context, in full view of adults and older siblings. Pictures taken with the family Brownie camera of the kids skinny-dipping could be taken to the local drugstore for developing with little fear even of a negative comment. Nowadays, dad would be arrested as a pedophile! Obviously, the photos of nude teens and pre-teens were published at the time to further illustrate the "family" aspect of nudism. Pedophilia was the furthest from the publishers' minds. But, times change.

It was the changing times that caused their demise. With the advent of commercially-available pornographic magazines and movies in the 1970s, there was no longer a market for these magazines. Too bad.

I think the information is outdated (but interesting). The pictures are not typical Ed Lange pictures (I think they were air-brushed). I remember Sundial as THE best nudists magazine.

The Spirit of Lady Godiva is the creation of a photographer who, like Prince, Madonna, et al, goes by the single name of Harvey. Quite simply, he's a guerrilla photographer. He studies the scene, instructs his models, and moves in to get the shot. Why do I say guerrilla? Well, he inserts nude people into unlikely locales, like street corners, outdoor malls, and cafes--that sort of thing.

What makes The Spirit of Lady Godiva different than most shots of nudes is that, unlike Spencer Tunick--who populates his shots with nothing but nudes--Harvey puts his nudes among clothed people in everyday settings. And, because he does this, it looks as though the nudes belong there--sort of in an alternate universe--where clothed and nude people can exist side-by-side.

Some of the plates are amazing. You wonder how he managed to pull it off. One of my favorites is one Harvey calls where's Nudo? In it, he's interspersed six different nude people in the crowd at an art fair packed with people--outstanding! Harvey has taken his photos in Ann Arbor, Chelsea and Detroit, Michigan; New Orleans, Louisiana; Albuquerque, new Mexico; Los Angeles and San Francisco, California; Seattle, Washington; Madison, Wisconsin; New York, New York; Chicago, Illinois; Hot Springs, Arkansas, and Austin, Texas.

My only quibble bout Harvey's work is because of his shooting style--stop, drop, and shoot. He has his models get ready, whip off their clothes, and then he shoots. In some shots, when the model is in a particularly busy or vulnerable location, you can see his or her clothes lying at his or her feet. I feel that this causes the shot to lose its natural "feel." This isn't evident in all of them, thankfully.

I highly recommend The Spirit of Lady Godiva. It's one of those great coffee table art books that's also a great conversation starter. It's chock full of 127 plates (and one bonus plate for the limited edition). As you look at the photos, and read Harvey's sometimes tongue-in-cheek comments, you'll wonder why our country's cities and towns have so little room for the occasional nude body, since they seem to fit in so well.

If you look at the two other reviews for this book, you'd think it's great. But then look closer, one of the reviewers has only rated 5 books, and they are all about nudism. Each book got 5 out of 5 stars and a great review. So, if you are a person who is into the nudity movement, or a naturalist you will love this book. If you are not, it will fall flat. The other reviewer has only ever rated one book. Hmmm.

From the standpoint of a photographer, or someone interested in photography, you will probably be disappointed. The work is very armature. The images tend to be very poorly exposed, lack good contrast and without the best composition. The idea is good, but the execution is lacking. He needs to take a basic photography class. He self published his book. Get a chance to look at it before you buy it, if you like it, good for you, otherwise beware, it's all about nudity and not about photography.

A fabulous book, filled with astounding photos of naked and clothed people who appear to intermingle naturally in everyday life. I found Harvey's photos so inspiring it fired my imagination to write a novel on the advent of just such a body-friendly world. The spirit of Lady Godiva indeed lives on. Anyone who finds society's attitude towards the human body more than a bit loopy will find this book a treasure trove to stir their own imaginations on how things could be (and maybe some day will be).

"The Spirit of Lady Godiva" is a giant, coffee-table book, filled with black and white photographs that make you think, "What would it be like if naked people could intermingle freely and calmly with clothed society?" Harvey's lighthearted answer is that it would be fun! Harvey took hours, and sometimes days, to practice with his volunteer models to have them undress in public quickly, to pose naturally for a shot, to get dressed, and to high-tail it out of the area before people busted a gut laughing or called out for the cops. The result is 264 pages of fabulous images of naked men and women seeming to mix naturally with clothed passersby along busy streets of Seattle, New Orleans, Los Angles, Austin, Chicago, San Francisco, and other U.S. urban centers. The price of the book seems steep at first, but this is a rich, photographic dreamworld that is just close enough to reality to make you want to try some local body freedom yourself. The book is worth every penny. I want to live in the world Harvey has created. This book may motivate some free spirits to make it so.

Ok, but not the best publication. For naturists and nudists or students only. This is a simple collection of snap shots, showing what one might see when visiting a naturist club.

I WANT TO SEE THIS BOO