Swoon is a colorful chronicle of great ladies’ men who spellbind women and enamor them forever. It ranges from the earliest mythic exemplars to Casanova, Byron, Camus, Ashton Kutcher, and real-world ladykillers today.

The findings are surprising. Contrary to popular perception, men who beguile women belie the familiar stereotypes—the rakes, players, and rich providers—and possess a cache of powerful erotic secrets we haven’t heard about. They answer one of history’s oldest questions: what do women want?

Drawing on a wealth of disciplines, Swoon brings ladies’ men to light—their charisma, characters and amorous arts—and tells their dramatic stories. Mysteries remain, but these grand romancers are an invaluable resource. They provide a master model of how women are enraptured and kept, and come at the right time. Amid the twenty-first-century sexual malaise, they can aid men in love and sow bliss in a grateful female population.

“Sharp, sexy, and completely engrossing.”
– BookPage

“A fun, frothy, complement to cultural historian Prioleau’s Seductress.”
– Kirkus Reviews

“An amusing and informative history of Lotharios. . . . the text leaps effortlessly from philosophers to academics to real people.”
– B&N Review

“Good news, guys. What women really prize, this book argues, is a man who genuinely likes and respects women.”
– Boston Globe

“With exceptional vocabulary and bight prose, Prioleau offers a thoroughly researched, irresistible accessible look at ladies’ men.”
— Library Journal starred review