In Middle-aged Gay Men, Ageing and Ageism, Paul Simpson offers us a snapshot of a group of men at a particular time and place. The place is north-west England, specifically the stretch of bars, clubs and hotels that line Canal Street in Manchester and which form the hub of the city's commercial gay scene. The men in question are a group of 27 gay and bisexual research participants all at a certain stage in their lives – ‘middle age’. The aim is to explore contemporary meanings and practices associated with ageing as a gay man both on and off the scene. Using data from interviewing and observation, the book reveals how attitudes to ageing are variously expressed and negotiated across different environments from the intensely youth-oriented commercial gay scene, to the ‘hetero-spaces’ of public life, as well as the more intimate setting of home and the comparative sanctuary of domestic life. At the heart of the book lies Simpson's interest in mid-life and a desire to disentangle this from a broader and generalising commentary on later life for gay men that in the past has often been taken within research to start at around the age of 50. Instead, his concern is to offer a more precise analysis of that interlude that lies between our forties and post-retirement old age (65+); a period of transition and, as the book makes clear, a time of intense subjective adaptation and social reconfiguration achieved largely outside the kind of milestones that have traditionally marked a heteronormative lifecourse.

So, what does this book offer its reader? A particular strength lies in the impressive scholarship and critical analysis brought to bear upon the topic at hand. The fast-paced and at times almost dizzying incorporation of ideas and theorising ensures that the snapshot on offer is firmly anchored in a rigorous and eloquent appraisal of the wider literature on ageing, sexuality and identity. The book contributes an in-depth and nuanced account of gay men's ageing to the field of social gerontology, which has long been marked by inattention to dissident and non-normative forms of ageing (Cronin Reference Cronin, Daatland and Briggs2006). Indeed, at a time of emerging recognition of the worth of attending to the diversity of ageing and of the learning this can offer (Gilleard and Higgs Reference Gilleard and Higgs2013), this timely text holds valuable insights into the reflexive practices of gay men as they make sense of differing cultural and social representations of ageing and later life. I was particularly struck by the way Simpson's analysis resonates with existing feminist accounts showing how oppression and inequalities are often responded to at the level of everyday cultural practices which focus upon the body.

The voices of the men who participated in the study are well represented throughout. Direct quotes are not just used illustratively, Simpson weaves them into his discussion, interrogating and taking issue with the different perspectives and positions expressed by his participants. In this way, the manner in which these men draw upon wider narratives of ageing to construct accounts of their own actions and practices is made clear. This book adds to our understanding of ageism: how it manifests itself, the ways that people respond to it and the implications it has for their lives. This, for me is a notable feature, not least because Simpson offers a cogent and carefully theorised analysis in a field where, as the author himself points out, there has been a tendency for empirical research to be ‘theory-light’ in accounting for gay men's experience of ageing. Yet, will this quality also prove to be a limitation?

From the early pages I found myself wondering how an interested practitioner, without some grounding in sociological debates, would fare, or indeed how non-academic middle-aged gay men with an interest in the experiences of their peers might find the ‘theory-heavy’ tone of the book. At times, Simpson touches upon or mentions in passing quite complex concepts and debates and clearly expects a lot from his reader in assuming their ability to keep up. I mention this only because the content and arguments put forward here would be highly relevant to a practitioner audience, and there is much on offer for mid-life gay men keen to see how others are tackling the complexities of ageing across different domains of everyday life. This is a book that one could easily dip into, but in reading it as a whole, a sensitive and carefully crafted portrait emerges that makes a significant contribution to the fields of social and cultural gerontology and to the study of ageing sexualities.