In 1957, Frank Kameny, a New York native, World War II veteran, and Harvard-educated astronomer, was fired from the Defense Department because of his homosexuality. The Deviant’s War is the story of how Kameny fought back, something no federal employee during what’s become known as the Lavender Scare, had done before. Thus began a long process that eventually, in the late 1970s, resulted in queer people no longer being kept from employment in federal jobs. Simultaneously, the book examines the rise of the homophile movement on the East Coast, as Kameny and allies like Barbara Gittings formulated key concepts, marched, and agitated. Eric Cervini presents this fascinating story in a compelling way, making The Deviant’s War history at its best.

The Deviant’s War: The Homosexual vs. the United States of America, by Eric Cervini. Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. The editor is Colin Dickerman; the agent is Dan Lazar at Writers House. The Deviant’s War is a finalist for the Publishing Triangle’s Randy Shilts Award for Gay Nonfiction; the winner will be announced on May 12.