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Of Beards and Men: The Revealing History of Facial Hair
Beards—they’re all the rage these days. Take a look from hip urbanites to rustic outdoorsmen, well-groomed metrosexuals to post-season hockey players, facial hair is everywhere. The New York Times traces this hairy trend to Big Apple hipsters circa 2005 and reports that today some New Yorkers pay thousands of dollars for facial hair transplants to disguise patchy, juvenile beards. And in 2014, blogger Nicki Daniels excoriated bearded hipsters for turning a symbol of manliness and power into a flimsy fashion statement. The beard, she said, has turned into the padded bra of masculinity.Of Beards and Men makes the case that today’s bearded renaissance is part of a centuries-long cycle in which facial hairstyles have varied in response to changing ideals of masculinity. Christopher Oldstone-Moore explains that the clean-shaven face has been the default style throughout Western history—see Alexander the Great’s beardless face, for example, as the Greek heroic ideal. But the primacy of razors has been challenged over the years by four great bearded movements, beginning with Hadrian in the second century and stretching to today’s bristled resurgence. The clean-shaven face today, Oldstone-Moore says, has come to signify a virtuous and sociable man, whereas the beard marks someone as self-reliant and unconventional. History, then, has established specific meanings for facial hair, which both inspire and constrain a man’s choices in how he presents himself to the world.This fascinating and erudite history of facial hair cracks the masculine hair code, shedding light on the choices men make as they shape the hair on their faces. Oldstone-Moore adeptly lays to rest common misperceptions about beards and vividly illustrates the connection between grooming, identity, culture, and masculinity. To a surprising degree, we find, the history of men is written on their faces.
347 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 22, 2015
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385 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
June 13, 2016
I saw the cover and just started to laugh -- then I read it.
This book is a fantastic read!
I was intrigued by the concepts of the 4 beard movements in western history and especially the "inner beard".
In short, throughout history the signs of the times are engendered in men's facial hair.
This book is a fantastic read!
I was intrigued by the concepts of the 4 beard movements in western history and especially the "inner beard".
In short, throughout history the signs of the times are engendered in men's facial hair.
December 23, 2015
I may be suspected of bias given the topic, but I'll start by saying most of the books I've read on beards are dull or oddly antiquated. This one stands head and shoulders above the others.
Oldstone-Moore manages to tell a serious story without losing the levity inherent in his whimsical topic. After all, we don't have the tale of how history was made here, no world-shaping political decisions or civilization-ending technologies. It's a history of facial hair. What makes it worth your while is that he peers deep into the changes in style and finds a deeper meaning hiding under the whiskers or razors (as is more often than not the dominant trend). The writing itself is strong and the characters chosen from history fascinating. There's also no shaving away of puns and word play, which charmed this reader at least. It may not convince you to grow a beard of your own, but it will give you a new insight into why men do (or dont').
Oldstone-Moore manages to tell a serious story without losing the levity inherent in his whimsical topic. After all, we don't have the tale of how history was made here, no world-shaping political decisions or civilization-ending technologies. It's a history of facial hair. What makes it worth your while is that he peers deep into the changes in style and finds a deeper meaning hiding under the whiskers or razors (as is more often than not the dominant trend). The writing itself is strong and the characters chosen from history fascinating. There's also no shaving away of puns and word play, which charmed this reader at least. It may not convince you to grow a beard of your own, but it will give you a new insight into why men do (or dont').
February 27, 2016
I really enjoyed this book, but it was an almost entirely "White" history of beards. It's a fascinating read, but I was left feeling like it was history class all over again, thinking "well what about everyone else?"
September 10, 2017
Po przeczytaniu tej książki ani golenie ani zapuszczanie brody nie będzie już takie same.
January 18, 2019
This is a great book on the history of masculinity. Obviously it's very focused, but therein lies its strength. The first half of the book dealing with ancient-medieval history was the most compelling, likely because the events are far enough in the past that they can be scrutinized in a way some of the more modern stuff hasn't, and also probably because the ancient history is so fundamental to everything that followed.
There are a weird number of typos though.
There are a weird number of typos though.
November 26, 2021
Of Beard and Men: The Revealing History of Facial Hair, is a nonfiction book written by historian Christopher Oldstone-Moore. It details the history of facial hair and its involvement in shaping image. It uses a combination of visuals, periodicals of the time, and real-world examples to explain its importance. There are some great anecdotes sprinkled throughout this entire book. The research used to back this up was intensive and was well thought through.
From the book, it is clear that Dr. Moore has a high understanding of the topic. He chronologically goes from the evolutionary reason for beards to the effects of religion, and the most foundational moments of western society well. There was something new and unique to every single page. It went beyond the call of being a book about just beards and made it a commentary on gender as a whole. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the greater meaning behind facial hair.
From the book, it is clear that Dr. Moore has a high understanding of the topic. He chronologically goes from the evolutionary reason for beards to the effects of religion, and the most foundational moments of western society well. There was something new and unique to every single page. It went beyond the call of being a book about just beards and made it a commentary on gender as a whole. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the greater meaning behind facial hair.
August 6, 2016
“Let your beards grow, all ye who are ugly and wish to be handsome!” Hugo
Full disclosure: I have a beard. Not like a Walt Whitman or a Leo Tolstoy beard to be sure. By comparison, it’s a pretty modest expanse of facial hair. I also call Portland home, a city where extravagant and carefully maintained beards (beard oil is a thing?) adorn the faces of many tattooed young men. I’d like to think my beard predates the hipster movement. When asked why I keep a beard, my answer is always the same: Kathleen likes it, and I’m lazy — in that order.
But after reading this book, I realize there may be more to it — some non-conscious desire to prove to the world that I am both civilized enough to keep my verdant facial foliage in check, and yet also unafraid of displaying this wooly connection to the unfiltered natural vitality of a wild man.
The tension between those two — purity of body and soul and the willingness to embrace our untamed natures — and how it plays out on the chins of man, is at the heart of the book.
When I received it as a gift (thanks Stephanie) I thought it would be a bit of a lark with some interesting moments and a lot of bad puns. Instead, it is a well-written, intriguing and sophisticated historical analysis of the social and cultural forces that, through the centuries, have determined whether beards were accepted and cultivated or rejected and shorn.
To set the stage, the book first examines the possible evolutionary advantages of beards which, it seems, boil down to three: they are an accident or harmless byproduct with no pressure to resolve (think male nipples), they signal dominance to potential rivals or they attract potential mates. All three are, of course, impossible to prove but the latter explanation is the most compelling. Tests have shown women tend to rate men with beards as more aggressive and dominant (signs, at least in the bad old days, of a protective mate), though not attractive. However, men with stubble (yes, Sonny Crockett, I’m talking about you) are seen as more attractive than clean shaven men because it would seem they have the best of both worlds.
After that, it’s a full on roller coaster ride through history with the beard serving as a bellwether for man’s struggle between clean shaven (signaling purity, civility and religious introspection) and bearded (signaling independence, masculinity and natural vitality). There are plenty of profiles along the way, from ancient philosophers to the first body builder, Eugene Sandow, to some of the rogues of the modern world — Hitler and Stalin, for example. For all, their decisions regarding facial hair are placed within a broader context of the cultural norms they were trying to take advantage of or overturn.
It’s truly a fascinating, well-written and well-researched book about a seemingly banal topic that provides deep and unexpected insights into the forces of history and the chins of men.
Full disclosure: I have a beard. Not like a Walt Whitman or a Leo Tolstoy beard to be sure. By comparison, it’s a pretty modest expanse of facial hair. I also call Portland home, a city where extravagant and carefully maintained beards (beard oil is a thing?) adorn the faces of many tattooed young men. I’d like to think my beard predates the hipster movement. When asked why I keep a beard, my answer is always the same: Kathleen likes it, and I’m lazy — in that order.
But after reading this book, I realize there may be more to it — some non-conscious desire to prove to the world that I am both civilized enough to keep my verdant facial foliage in check, and yet also unafraid of displaying this wooly connection to the unfiltered natural vitality of a wild man.
The tension between those two — purity of body and soul and the willingness to embrace our untamed natures — and how it plays out on the chins of man, is at the heart of the book.
When I received it as a gift (thanks Stephanie) I thought it would be a bit of a lark with some interesting moments and a lot of bad puns. Instead, it is a well-written, intriguing and sophisticated historical analysis of the social and cultural forces that, through the centuries, have determined whether beards were accepted and cultivated or rejected and shorn.
To set the stage, the book first examines the possible evolutionary advantages of beards which, it seems, boil down to three: they are an accident or harmless byproduct with no pressure to resolve (think male nipples), they signal dominance to potential rivals or they attract potential mates. All three are, of course, impossible to prove but the latter explanation is the most compelling. Tests have shown women tend to rate men with beards as more aggressive and dominant (signs, at least in the bad old days, of a protective mate), though not attractive. However, men with stubble (yes, Sonny Crockett, I’m talking about you) are seen as more attractive than clean shaven men because it would seem they have the best of both worlds.
After that, it’s a full on roller coaster ride through history with the beard serving as a bellwether for man’s struggle between clean shaven (signaling purity, civility and religious introspection) and bearded (signaling independence, masculinity and natural vitality). There are plenty of profiles along the way, from ancient philosophers to the first body builder, Eugene Sandow, to some of the rogues of the modern world — Hitler and Stalin, for example. For all, their decisions regarding facial hair are placed within a broader context of the cultural norms they were trying to take advantage of or overturn.
It’s truly a fascinating, well-written and well-researched book about a seemingly banal topic that provides deep and unexpected insights into the forces of history and the chins of men.
July 22, 2016
O-M surveys the history of beards in the western world, from Babylonian and ancient Egyptian times to the current day. It would have been interesting to have some chapters on beards in the far East and Africa (beyond Egypt), though he does touch briefly upon the importance and significance of beards among Muslims and certain Jewish groups. He writes entertainingly but not glibly nor satirically. His investigation raises interesting questions about why beards in western culture have been favored 4 times and what lies behind the current trend of beards (albeit very light or slight rather than hirsute) and what lies behind those Americans today that favor the hirsute and unkempt (in my opinion)--think Duck Dynasty.
April 6, 2016
Fascinating book on the culture of male facial hair. The history of beardedness vs. beardlessness is complex and varied and the author does a great job in describing the trends and reasonings. Not just a fashion statement, facial hair, or lack thereof, has let men stand out from their peers and differentiated them from each other (and females). The book delves into all the culture meanings that have been associated of beards (manliness, wisdom, individuality, religious solidarity) and shaving (youthfulness, cleanliness, self-control). A fun book that informs without (usually) taking itself too seriously.
September 7, 2016
This book is a great addition to the works on the cultural history of the body. It is refreshing to read an academic analysis of masculinity written in the same vein as much of the literature on femininity. I don't think every chapter worked equally well: I was put off by Oldstone-Moore's description of Caesar's "comb over" and much of his analysis of ancient history. But the analysis worked better as he moved forward in time. By the end his incorporation of pop culture and definitions of masculine identity blended well.
May 6, 2017
Interesting look at beards and what they say about culture from religious, warrior, attractiveness points of view. How great men influenced a standard of shaved or bearded. How religion and God(s) and how we worship decided whether we had beards. How the middle ages ideology of clean shaven meant goodliness in man still influences grooming policies today.
June 27, 2018
PL
Porywająca historia zarostu, od strony biologicznej po cały, bogaty rys historyczny. Książka wciąga i czyta się ją jednym tchem. Gorąco polecam!
EN
A thrilling history of facial hair, from the biological side to a whole rich historical outline. The book draws you in and reads it in one breath. I would highly recommend!
Porywająca historia zarostu, od strony biologicznej po cały, bogaty rys historyczny. Książka wciąga i czyta się ją jednym tchem. Gorąco polecam!
EN
A thrilling history of facial hair, from the biological side to a whole rich historical outline. The book draws you in and reads it in one breath. I would highly recommend!
May 22, 2016
Who knew facial hair could be so interesting! I liked the story-telling style of writing too, as opposed to just information. Fun read!
February 27, 2019
Overall, I liked reading this book. Of Beards and Men provides a detailed, Western history of facial hair from full beards, to mustaches, to clean shaven. The author did mention that he would only cover western history hinting that other cultures may be covered later by himself or even us, the readers. Christopher covered the history in chronological order, making the history more understandable. However, he jumped around different locations which got confusing and felt fragmented. I loved the chapter on The Renaissance. Maybe it’s the artist in me but the chapter felt like beards were in their heyday. Every man grew one usually for nature and self-expression as opposed to growing one to maintain rule over women or threatening rulers from other countries.
The book was of a good length. Christopher covered the necessary details to set the scene then described the role that facial hair played during that event. I would’ve preferred if he left some sections on religion out of the book, specifically the sections on Jews and Muslims. These sections were at the end of the book and felt out of place because they were not chronological. Specifically, I’m talking about the sections on Jews and Muslims. These felt like he could’ve placed them in another book on other cultures or earlier in the book.
The author wrote in a detached style. He explained the history yet gave no personal touches. It was like reading a textbook at times although you can tell when he liked a certain event maybe because of the absurdity like that of the bearded women freak shows.
This book helped me to understand why beards are popular during these times. Looking back on history, I can guess that men grow is for vanity and conformity because of social media and because of shifting gender roles to maintain a masculine presence. Men grew beards during times of uncertainty to maintain stability in their rule.
As a 20-something man who can’t hope to grow a beard, this book helped me comes to terms with that fact. I almost bought minoxidil (Rogaine) to put on my face in order to grow facial hair but now I feel more comfortable with myself.
November 15, 2020
An interesting (though not exactly exciting - hence the 5 months to finish) read to be sure. As a man that has been growing unkempt mustaches, stubble, and very short beards for a decade I finally decided to use this lockdown to get past the growing pains and cultivate a full size beard. It's been a fun journey and picking up this book for a few minutes every few days was a great way to solidify my choice and learn a thing or two. It's made me think not just about facial hair but many other things we do in society. Why we do them, what they mean, and how they have changed over human history.
May 24, 2024
This definitely “GREW on me” toward the end! Mildly interesting. Fun little read to mix things up, but not as good as I was expecting. It was cool to see how beards grew and waned in popularity throughout the years, but it honestly got pretty repetitive.
This covers basically every major era in world history, so which chapters you like will probably be highly dependent on what time period piques your interest. I was definitely more interested at the end when it got to like the 19th-21st centuries.
This covers basically every major era in world history, so which chapters you like will probably be highly dependent on what time period piques your interest. I was definitely more interested at the end when it got to like the 19th-21st centuries.
March 13, 2021
Like most popular writing by academics, Oldstone-Moore's _Of Beards_ ends abruptly when you are left wanting it to address more questions. This variety of writing shares the want of more with good popular fiction. Although _Of Beards_ may at times lend itself to history text dryness, the discussion is fascinating and brilliantly researched.
February 7, 2019
I was really interested in cover and content of this book but unfortunately I could not continue reading it till the end. Starting from prologue it bogs reader into unnecessary, uninformative and recurring details. Historical parts are not clear and plot is not that much immersive.
March 17, 2020
I read about 60% of this book. Written in a more academic style than I anticipated, which didn't jive with the (to me) light-hearted topic. It was interesting content, but hard more me to stay focused.
June 30, 2020
Either a great romp through history via the story of facial hair, or a history of facial hair which takes in all of history. Either way - I both enjoyed and learned from this book. What more can you possibly ask.
February 12, 2019
zaskakująco bogate i wnikliwe badania na niemal 500 stronach
July 15, 2019
This book was fascinating. It turns out that facial hair is not only a sign of masculinity, it has also been a signifier of theology, politics, and ideology over the years.
February 1, 2020
An interesting read of how and why the prevalence of facial hair waxed and waned throughout recorded history
February 7, 2020
Comprehensive treatment of beards throughout history, especially the impact of Alexander the Great and the Church. Interesting, with a bit of an academic tone.
May 20, 2020
It's just American and European history.
March 4, 2017
I'm not a logician but I couldn't help but think while I read this book that Mr. Oldstone-Moore begs the question throughout, that he doesn't really consider any alternative to his premise, and that he ultimately doesn't support his premise that facial hair or its lack is an indication of "manliness" as defined by a particular culture. He merely presents a list of people who either had or didn't have facial hair, along with some source material regarding those people, and occasionally a snippet of an actual treatise on facial hair as written by men throughout the ages. There's little or no commentary from a woman's perspective until recent times, and little discussion on class division. Mostly the book is about powerful or influential men, and checking off whether they had a beard. I feel like this subject matter is so broad that the book should have been much smaller, focusing on some limited aspect, or *shudder* much bigger.
January 26, 2016
Very interesting and well-researched. The author uses great language and engaging examples, despite the essayistic style of the book. I noticed a lot of editing errors in the print version, though. I saw them often enough that I decided to write them down (starting on page 121--so there's bound to be some before then).
Most of the errors are missing, duplicated, or misspelled words:
• “…in that they were expected perform in public with eloquence and panache.” (121)
• “The downcast workman said he intended keep it safe at home…” (140)
• “…chose shaving as a ensign of spiritual devotion.” (142)
• “…to invoke a vital and authentic masculinity that would legitimate their cause.” (163—legitimize)
• “…everyday things like buildings, furniture, ornaments, clothing, and the ‘the manner in which the hair and beard are cut.’” (174)
• “…helping to usher in new era in masculine style.” (179)
• “…Smith performed Mont Blanc more than two thouand times…” (183)
• “…Barnum’s show came to include a dwarf, a pair of giants, and skeletally thin man.” (193)
• “…in order to dampen class strife and secure the popularly of the throne.” (209)
• “…he hastens to Haby’s fashionable Berlin salon get an erect mustache for himself.” (211)
• “In jail in for his part…” (243)
• “As the 1970’s adavnced…” (247)
• “…this was unlikely to change until someone is ‘is good enough to make a real test of it.’” (249)
• “…Breitner had never been an idealist so as much as a pragmatist…” (251)
• “The fall of facial hair in the 1980s was not a simply a shift in fashion…” (251)
• “Men living the in the ‘land of the free’…” (252)
• “Though this ruling technically applied to only to one police commissioner’s rules…” (254)
• “The primary statement a man makes with a beard, therefore, is that he autonomous, free to do as he pleases.” (260)
• “…showing an affinity for German literature and music, as well as a distain for the old…” (279—disdain)
• “With the rise of explicitly anti-Semitic politics in Europe in during the 1980s…” (279)
• “Nor is it unexpected that the most the most decorated competitor…” (285)
• “…echoed this theme of liberated authenticity in declaring that he finds that men with ‘beards and the mustaches are the most interesting people at any party.’” (286)
• “…professional men living out a masculine fantasy of liberation, if only for week.” (287)
• “In a shaven world, it is statement of personal autonomy…” (288)
• “Alexander did not order his men to shave simply to prevent beard pulling; he inviting them to see themselves…” (289)
• On the side of the book jacket, the "t" is missing from Christopher
And I skimmed/flipped through the beginning section to see if I found any others:
• “…Darwin repeatedly invoked this this principle in The Descent of Man...” (7)
• “In fact, his tactic raised more questions that it answered.” (9)
• “…why were the passions it stirred strong enough to cause some prehistoric women reject would-be mates?” (9)
• “…they believed that hair itself it contained a masculine life force…” (pg. 32)
Hopefully the author/editor can use this info for future reprints (which I'm sure it will get--it's good). I didn't make any notes for pages 10-120.
Most of the errors are missing, duplicated, or misspelled words:
• “…in that they were expected perform in public with eloquence and panache.” (121)
• “The downcast workman said he intended keep it safe at home…” (140)
• “…chose shaving as a ensign of spiritual devotion.” (142)
• “…to invoke a vital and authentic masculinity that would legitimate their cause.” (163—legitimize)
• “…everyday things like buildings, furniture, ornaments, clothing, and the ‘the manner in which the hair and beard are cut.’” (174)
• “…helping to usher in new era in masculine style.” (179)
• “…Smith performed Mont Blanc more than two thouand times…” (183)
• “…Barnum’s show came to include a dwarf, a pair of giants, and skeletally thin man.” (193)
• “…in order to dampen class strife and secure the popularly of the throne.” (209)
• “…he hastens to Haby’s fashionable Berlin salon get an erect mustache for himself.” (211)
• “In jail in for his part…” (243)
• “As the 1970’s adavnced…” (247)
• “…this was unlikely to change until someone is ‘is good enough to make a real test of it.’” (249)
• “…Breitner had never been an idealist so as much as a pragmatist…” (251)
• “The fall of facial hair in the 1980s was not a simply a shift in fashion…” (251)
• “Men living the in the ‘land of the free’…” (252)
• “Though this ruling technically applied to only to one police commissioner’s rules…” (254)
• “The primary statement a man makes with a beard, therefore, is that he autonomous, free to do as he pleases.” (260)
• “…showing an affinity for German literature and music, as well as a distain for the old…” (279—disdain)
• “With the rise of explicitly anti-Semitic politics in Europe in during the 1980s…” (279)
• “Nor is it unexpected that the most the most decorated competitor…” (285)
• “…echoed this theme of liberated authenticity in declaring that he finds that men with ‘beards and the mustaches are the most interesting people at any party.’” (286)
• “…professional men living out a masculine fantasy of liberation, if only for week.” (287)
• “In a shaven world, it is statement of personal autonomy…” (288)
• “Alexander did not order his men to shave simply to prevent beard pulling; he inviting them to see themselves…” (289)
• On the side of the book jacket, the "t" is missing from Christopher
And I skimmed/flipped through the beginning section to see if I found any others:
• “…Darwin repeatedly invoked this this principle in The Descent of Man...” (7)
• “In fact, his tactic raised more questions that it answered.” (9)
• “…why were the passions it stirred strong enough to cause some prehistoric women reject would-be mates?” (9)
• “…they believed that hair itself it contained a masculine life force…” (pg. 32)
Hopefully the author/editor can use this info for future reprints (which I'm sure it will get--it's good). I didn't make any notes for pages 10-120.
March 22, 2016
"Shaving is as old as civilization," writes Moore, and in this book he traces the history of facial hair from the beginnings of Western civilization in Sumer up to the bearded Boston Red Sox of 2013. Not surprisingly, wearing or shaving a beard has long been associated with cultural ideals of masculinity. What is surprising, however, is the way different people in different periods alternately favored shaving or not based on the same reasoning, with opposite outcomes. In short: facial hair has long been the object of struggles between cultural control and personal autonomy.
A very interesting and fun book.
A very interesting and fun book.
March 20, 2016
This book was a pleasure read for me, as a bearded man I was very interested in the history of facial hair and what has driven the absence or presence of hair from the faces of people. The book did a solid job of examining western history and applying a bearded layer of analysis to culture and what was happening. I think that several parts of this book would be great to draw upon for future presentations related to masculinity and it's expression, especially as it relates to helping young adults express themselves and find their boundaries.
January 20, 2016
I enjoyed this overview of the growth and recession of the trend of wearing a beard. The information about the older periods (Jesus, Alexander the Great) was more interesting to me than the more recent (Stalin/Hitler), but that wasn't a surprise. The author seems to have had fun with the topic and seems to have enjoyed his research. The writing is a bit choppy and isn't consistently clear, or engaging, but overall I enjoyed this read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews