RaveWashington ExaminerThe gays and lesbians in Kirchick\'s book form a rotating cast of Forrest Gumps, appearing at the center of every major political event of the latter half of the 20th century. This allows the book to serve well as a general history of the country, no small feat in a subject area where too often, major events merely serve as scene-setting and background noise. Kirchick refreshingly portrays the gay Washington underground as a parallel and central world to the seat of American power ... It is, in many ways, one of the most human works of history written this decade so far. Much like the gay community itself, the book contains people from every social class, color, personality, and profession ... The book\'s massive size and scope make it impossible to even list the number of fascinating characters and stories ... Never preachy, self-conscious, or boring, Secret City has raised the bar for the genre, portraying its subjects and their city in all its contradictions. I won\'t forget it.
