This book is the best to emerge from the new Right Wing cultural counter reformation. I’ve read several others in this genre that are garbage tier (The Reactionary Mind and the ocean of BAP clone manifestos come to mind), littered with typos and run-on sentences and bloated word counts. This book executes on its premise with vigor.
I owe Mr Chivalry Guild my love of heroes like Sir William Marshall, Ferdinand III, El Cid, Godfrey de Bouillon, etc.
4 stars because while well written, this book doesn’t say anything particularly new, especially to people like myself who frequent places where this knowledge and sentiment is shared. Consider it more a “beginner’s guide” to reactionary thought instead of some groundbreaking study.
In today’s chaotic world, where values are dictated by those in power, this book has become salt and light –a clarion call for men to return to our chivalric ways.
Now, while I do not live in the west, my upbringing as a Catholic have allowed myself to relate to the virtues discussed in the book. I appreciate that the author discussed these with clarity and provided us thought-provoking depictions of a true knight. He cited heroes from both history and in literature allowing us readers to paint an image of a chivalric man and how they conducted themselves during their time.
To me, this book is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the timeless value of chivalry. It serves as a powerful reminder that the ideals of the past are not outdated but in fact, can still inspire and guide us most especially in today’s world.
I’m not the target audience, however, I’m a mother of four sons on a mission to stir their souls with great books. I am particularly drawn to the medieval minds of C.S. Lewis and Tolkien, which is why this book was so appealing.
The beginning of the book showed promise, but I was put-off by the virtue of prowess turning into a lecture on the importance of getting into the gym. And this comes from a woman committed to raising physically strong boys — yes, my teenagers lift weights. It felt like a tangent and distraction more than a compelling argument.
Furthermore, I was not prepared for politics to be infused into such a book as this. I’m not necessarily bothered by all that the author says. In fact, I agree with him on many points, but I wasn’t expecting veiled political talking points.
The final nail in the coffin for me was the author referencing Game of Thrones under the HONOR chapter. You loose the plot when you mention a pornographic TV series to make a point about honor.
I read this book in one sitting, I was so captured. As the mother of a teen boy and a teacher to high school sophomores, this book offered an invaluable time of reflection for me. "Chivalry: An Ideal Whose Time Has Come Again" challenged me to look at cultural "givens" in a new way and renewed my appreciation for the heroes of old. It helped crystallize how I should (and how I should not) point my young men toward virtue. I look forward to reading future titles by this author, and highly recommend this one to young men, in particular, but also to their mothers.
Very well done, framed properly. All of the content applied to context couldn’t be any more true. I commend your effort and if anymore books are written they will go into my collection as well.
This is a must-read book for our present age. History, legends, and modern anecdotes are masterfully woven into a cogent model of manly excellence, with direct calls-to-action for the aspiring knight. In short, this book presents a much-needed antidote for the ails of the modern age.