Oscar Wilde had one of literary history's mostexplosive love affairs with Lord Alfred "Bosie"Douglas. In 1895, Bosie's father, the Marquessof Queensberry, delivered a note to the Albemarle Clubaddressed to "Oscar Wilde posing as sodomite." WithBosie's encouragement, Wilde sued the Marquess forlibel. He not only lost but he was tried twice for "grossindecency" and sent to prison with two years' hard labor.With this publication of the uncensored trial transcripts,readers can for the first time in more than a century hearWilde at his most articulate and brilliant. The Real Trialof Oscar Wilde documents an alarmingly swift fall fromgrace; it is also a supremely moving testament to the rightto live, work, and love as one's heart dictates. “Touching … sharp, unsentimental … an expectedly vivid portrait.” - London Times on The Wilde Album “Sharp, unillusioned and free from family piety.” - Daily Telegraph (London) on The Wilde Album “Marvellous … a feast.” - The Independent on The Wilde Album “This narrative remind[s] us what an extraordinary man his grandfather was―and how much he influenced the 20th century.” - New York Times Book Review on The Wilde Album “The author has a wry lucid style that moves along briskly...an excellent little book.” - Sunday Boston Globe on The Wilde Album “Brilliant.” - Seattle Weekly “If Wilde lives on through his writings...the publication of this transcript in recovering his actual words, finally does him justice.” - Village Voice “Invaluable for the Wilde enthusiast, the legal scholar, the champion of human rights, and the student of English literature.” - Publishers Weekly “Tantalizing.” - Los Angeles Times “An essential for aficionados...at times it is easy to forget that this is not one of Wilde’s own playscripts.” - The Observer “A gripping and fascinating volume [that]...ranks with the Apology, Plato’s account of the trial of Socrates.” - Daily Telegraph (London) “Inordinately gripping.” - New York Times “A fascinating document for anyone interested in the law or literature…as compelling as a Shakespearean tragedy.” - Legal Times Oscar Wilde had one of literary history's mostexplosive love affairs with Lord Alfred "Bosie"Douglas. In 1895, Bosie's father, the Marquessof Queensberry, delivered a note to the Albemarle Clubaddressed to "Oscar Wilde posing as sodomite." WithBosie's encouragement, Wilde sued the Marquess forlibel. He not only lost but he was tried twice for "grossindecency" and sent to prison with two years' hard labor.With this publication of the uncensored trial transcripts,readers can for the first time in more than a century hearWilde at his most articulate and brilliant. The Real Trialof Oscar Wilde documents an alarmingly swift fall fromgrace; it is also a supremely moving testament to the rightto live, work, and love as one's heart dictates. Merlin Holland is Oscar Wilde's only grandson. He has been researching Wilde's life for the last twenty years. He is the coeditor of The Complete Letters of Oscar Wilde . The Real Trial of Oscar Wilde The First Uncensored Transcript of the Trial of Oscar Wilde Vs. John Douglas, Marquess of Queensberry, 1895 By Holland, Merlin Perennial ISBN: 000715805X Foreword Libel actions are meant to be cases for re-establishing reputations,confounding malicious gossip and allowing the litigant to emergein a state of unblemished purity. Anyone contemplating such litigationshould be warned that those who start libel actions oftenemerge with their reputations in tatters and, on two notableoccasions, end up in prison. Lord Jeffrey Archer and most famousof them all, Oscar Wilde found the entrance to the libel court adirect path to gaol. Indeed, the steps that led from Wilde's charge against theMarquess of Queensberry to hard labour have a sickening inevitabilityabout them. Wilde's conduct through the three trials thatfollowed seems like a deliberate exercise in self-destruction. Thepublic drama was activated by Queensberry leaving a note atthe Albemarle Club addressed to 'Oscar Wilde posing somdomite[sic]'. (It is interesting to see what variations the word gained inthese proceedings; Edward Carson, Wilde's cross-examiner, calledHuysmans's À Rebours a 'sodomitical' book.) The reaction of anysensible man to the note would have been to take the advice ofthe majority of Wilde's friends, which was to tear it up and forgetit. The way to disaster was to start a private prosecution forcriminal libel. The charge necessarily called for the defence ofjustification. From then on it was Wilde, and not his enemy theMarquess of Queensberry, who was on trial, and he had laid himselfopen to every form of attack. There were no QueensberryRules. Throughout these ghastly events Oscar's wife, Constance,behaved impeccably. Wilde was a devoted and loving father,although he left his sons, Vyvyan and Cyril Holland, a lifetime ofconcealment and embarrassment. In a book that adds considerably to our knowledge of his grandfather