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by Michael Hone (Author)
Facing a Nazi firing squad Willem Arondeus shouted out, ''Let it be known that homosexuals are not cowards '' That is the aim of my work, to celebrate the lives of heroic homosexuals, of whom it is my conviction that Jack Nicholson, the hero of the Indian Mutiny of 1857, was one. Nicholson lived in Victorian times, the sexually strangest in history, where homosexuality was not only repressed, not only shameful, but a man could be hanged for it. Yet never had there been more male brothels in London, and one could send a telegram to a friend who received the services of the boy delivering it in exchange for a few kopeks. Walter in his famous My Secret Life (1888) wrote ''Get me a man, Betsy, to frig, '' and soldiers in the Chelsea Barracks padded their monthly salaries thanks to well-heeled gentlemen, while boarding schools were rampant with nightly orgies. John (Jack) Nicholson is the jewel of this story, but quite naturally a jewel's setting, in this case the Mutiny of 1857, can be of immense importance in bringing out the best of the gem. For that reason I will fully cover Britain's wars against the Afghans and the Sikhs, as well as develop the lives of the players, British and Indian, the understanding of which is as vital to our story as are roots to a tree. Nicholson and those around him, Henry Lawrence's Young Men, formed a brotherhood, perhaps as exclusive as that of the Sacred Band of Thebes and the 300 of Thermopylae, Greeks who saved us from Eastern barbarism, glorious men who were also lovers. If this were the case with Nicholson and his friend Edwardes, it simply meant that at some time in their relationship they found solace and love in the arms of each other. We know nothing for certain. But we can certainly hope so. This book thoroughly covers the human aspects of Nicholson's years, and fully describes the major massacres and human suffering, although the reader will be spared the blow-by-blow description of the battles, the reason this volume is slim. The life of each major character is explained, nearly all of whom began their army careers at shockingly early ages, 14, 15 and 16, and even Nicholson's brother Alexander was murdered at age 17. I'll explain why I believe Nicholson was a homosexual hero, thusly honoring Willem Arondeus' call, thusly honoring those of my personal persuasion who have done so much to extend the freedoms and defend the values of the civilization entrusted to us by the founders of the Golden Age of Pericles, all of which may be insignificant to heterosexuals, but is vital to those who have survived two thousand years of vile night.
