Lesbian History is based on original and contemporary sources, both private and those of public concern including legal cases and journalism. They range from official government publications, professional journals and newspapers to fiction, poetry, personal papers and ephemera.

The editors consider the changing definition of terms such as "lesbian" and how this has changed over the last century and what constitutes "lesbian behavior". Also looked at is the significance of feminist politics and networks, the ways that wartime disruption created opportunities for lesbian lifestyles, the importance of women's economic independence, and the censure or acceptance of love between women. Here is an essential overview of lesbians in history from the end of the nineteenth century through the 1970s when the women's liberation movement began to take hold. Lesbian History is a welcome resource that fills the gap in the existing literature.