A total unique book, this is a brilliant insight into the mind of an outrageous character, who I was delighted to get to know. Gossipy and hilarious, witty and moving, it was brilliant.

An interesting memoir, the diary of a man who had to live two lives: one as proper and prim civil servant, the other as a gay man looking for sex and relationships in hidden or seedy places as being homosexual was not legal.
The diary are mixed with observation by Hugo Greenhalgh.
An interesting and informative read.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

An incredible peek into the days gone by and a real snapshot of 1960s London through our guide, Mr Lucas. What I loved most was the insight that Hugo provided after each diary entry, where he could share personal anecdotes or information about Mr Lucas in a way that his written diaries could not. Utterly fascinating and filled with rich and vivid descriptions of a Soho which no longer exists.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.

Fascinating account of a sort-of secret gay life across several decades. Brilliant evocation of a London long gone.

A window into gay life in the 60s and the path of one life in particular. Specific, detailed, and presented with personal insight and understanding, this is a fascinating and compelling addition to queer history

This diary is truly astonishing and a valuable slice of social history. It’s unlikely that it will ever be matched. It’s packed with detail about life as a gay man, predominantly in the 1960s, when homosexuality was a crime and men lived in fear of being outed or discovered. Mr Lucas was a respected civil servant at the Board of Trade.. I can picture him; meticulously dressed, a stickler for time keeping and keeping to the rules. But out of office, he frequented notorious gay bars and clubs looking for other a succession of one night stands with labourers, guardsmen, criminals, dockers and more.

He kept voluminous diaries and its thanks to his documentation that we have this remarkable record of a completely hidden life. Hugo Greenhalgh promised to edit and publish the diaries after Mr Lucas’ death and by all accounts, has undertaken a mammoth task in pulling together such a remarkable narrative which allows such a singular insight into a double life. Lucas is under no illusion about the dangers he faced, almost daily, and the lack of support from the authorities if there’s violence. This is a compelling read. There are few judgements and from beyond the grave, Mr Lucas has given a detailed and lively account spanning some sixty years. It’s fascinating and frightening in equal measure, the more so given the recent rise in hate crimes and there’s plenty of food for thought as the veil over a secret life is lifted. Genuinely remarkable.

This is a very interesting book, one that includes many diary entries from Mr Lucas, a gay man who lived through most of the 20th Century and experienced horrific homophobia, interspersed with the journalist's (Hugo Greenhalgh) observations and thoughts. Clearly, Mr Lucas lived through a lot - he had a horrible family life, with both parents seemingly hating him, and got caught up with rent boys and criminal activity, some of which was led by the notorious Kray brothers from London's East End.

One of the takeaways from 'The Diaries of Mr Lucas' is how lucky the gay community (in the main - obviously, not everywhere in the world) is today, in 2024. Mr Lucas was promiscuous, enjoyed meeting many different men. A lot of these took advantage of him, had him beaten up, stole from his flat. Towards the end of his life, he lived in squalor, with few close friends. Those that knew him well, including Greenhalgh, supported him, and one friend, Craig, spent a lot of time helping him, too.

Some of the prose is confusing, largely because (and I am not sure why) the diary entries go backwards and forwards in time. I would have thought chronological order would have worked better. Furthermore, it isn't always (immediately) clear if text is from an entry from the 50s or 60s, or if it is Greenhalgh's prose. I think this could be clearer, and perhaps will be in a printed copy of the book, as I was reading on Kindle.

Overall, this is a thought-provoking read, a book of diary entries that Mr Lucas kept for years. He had so many diaries it must have been difficult for Greenhalgh to know where to start. I am thankful that modern life is much more agreeable than it was when sex between men was illegal.

Thank you to the publisher, Atlantic Books, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.