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Leading the Rebellion: Questing To Succeed In Work and Life
In Leading the Rebellion: Questing to Succeed in Work and Life tech CEO, pop-culture entrepreneur and YouTube sensation Jason Kingsley reveals how he uses The Code of Chivalry as a guide to work, life and happiness.
Rebellion is one of the world’s most successful independent games developers and also a film and TV production company and publisher. Combining his love of Medieval History and success in business, this unique book will give insight into a modern interpretation of the Knightly Code of Chivalry, the moral system which combined a warrior ethos, knightly piety, and courtly manners, all combining to establish a notion of honour and nobility, in a motivational and aspirational take on how to live life to the fullest.
Each chapter focuses on one main chivalric theme, and how it has influenced his philosophy, helped equip him with personal tools to succeed, and how it has maximised his work-life balance.
Rebellion is one of the world’s most successful independent games developers and also a film and TV production company and publisher. Combining his love of Medieval History and success in business, this unique book will give insight into a modern interpretation of the Knightly Code of Chivalry, the moral system which combined a warrior ethos, knightly piety, and courtly manners, all combining to establish a notion of honour and nobility, in a motivational and aspirational take on how to live life to the fullest.
Each chapter focuses on one main chivalric theme, and how it has influenced his philosophy, helped equip him with personal tools to succeed, and how it has maximised his work-life balance.
- GenresNonfiction
272 pages, Hardcover
Published July 18, 2023
12 people are currently reading
1765 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 9, 2023
The author is a true English geezer who’d you’d love to have a pint with at the pub
This book was super fun to read and interesting. The author is a YouTuber who I liked to watch and I had no clue he was in charge of directing a whole company and is the head of the company who made the sniper elite games.
The book was fun the whole way through and didn’t get boring at all to me. The lessons were valuable to learn about as they were provided with examples that he has had throughout his life which I found very interesting. He is fair to every side of the isle and walk of life and knows life is in the middle not extremes. I don’t have to agree with everything someone says to enjoy what they’re saying or love a piece of work they make, like I did with this book. I thought the lessons were well thought out and presented and the stories were amazing to read about and learn more about him and medieval stuff In general. I recommend this book to people who like history or his YouTube channel. He seems like a real down to earth guy who’d you like to talk to. This book was super fun and informative! The book doesn’t have a lot of specific stuff that I would talk about in a review, so no spoilers here (not that this book really has anything to spoil) but the book is an in depth look at life and how to live it. I just recommend reading it for yourself and not taking my word on any specifics, so that’s why I leave them out.
4.5/5
This book was super fun to read and interesting. The author is a YouTuber who I liked to watch and I had no clue he was in charge of directing a whole company and is the head of the company who made the sniper elite games.
The book was fun the whole way through and didn’t get boring at all to me. The lessons were valuable to learn about as they were provided with examples that he has had throughout his life which I found very interesting. He is fair to every side of the isle and walk of life and knows life is in the middle not extremes. I don’t have to agree with everything someone says to enjoy what they’re saying or love a piece of work they make, like I did with this book. I thought the lessons were well thought out and presented and the stories were amazing to read about and learn more about him and medieval stuff In general. I recommend this book to people who like history or his YouTube channel. He seems like a real down to earth guy who’d you like to talk to. This book was super fun and informative! The book doesn’t have a lot of specific stuff that I would talk about in a review, so no spoilers here (not that this book really has anything to spoil) but the book is an in depth look at life and how to live it. I just recommend reading it for yourself and not taking my word on any specifics, so that’s why I leave them out.
4.5/5
October 15, 2024
I picked up this book because I'm a fan of the author's YouTube channel Modern History TV.
The book is structured based on the rules of the chivalric code. I appreciate the author's ability to apply these rules to his modern life and his ability to use imagination to turn daily mundane tasks into questing. Inspired by this I started using a productivity app that turns real life daily tasks into a game of quests with RPG elements.
Sometimes his biographical stories were only loosely related to the particular chivalric rule of a given chapter. Bottom line I enjoyed reading about his passion for video games and outdoor adventures on horseback.
The book is structured based on the rules of the chivalric code. I appreciate the author's ability to apply these rules to his modern life and his ability to use imagination to turn daily mundane tasks into questing. Inspired by this I started using a productivity app that turns real life daily tasks into a game of quests with RPG elements.
Sometimes his biographical stories were only loosely related to the particular chivalric rule of a given chapter. Bottom line I enjoyed reading about his passion for video games and outdoor adventures on horseback.
January 6, 2024
This guy is an inspiration :)
February 11, 2024
Kingsley heeft een boeiend leven en heeft hier een interessant boek over geschreven, met een originele insteek.
Wel vind ik het boek wat teveel meanderen. De hoofdstukken zijn gestructureerd aan de hand van ridderlijke principes, maar in z'n enthousiasme wijkt Kingsley daar gemakkelijk vanaf en verdwijnen deze naar de achtergrond. De opzet van het boek voelt daarmee soms wat gezocht.
Toch is wát Kingsley te vertellen heeft zeker de moeite waard. Het geeft een inkijkje in het leven van de eigenaar van een groot entertainmentbedrijf, je leert meer over de middeleeuwen, paarden en zelfs een beetje over zoölogie.
Grote levenslessen ben ik niet tegengekomen, maar al met al een vermakelijke inkijk in het leven van een interessant mens.
Wel vind ik het boek wat teveel meanderen. De hoofdstukken zijn gestructureerd aan de hand van ridderlijke principes, maar in z'n enthousiasme wijkt Kingsley daar gemakkelijk vanaf en verdwijnen deze naar de achtergrond. De opzet van het boek voelt daarmee soms wat gezocht.
Toch is wát Kingsley te vertellen heeft zeker de moeite waard. Het geeft een inkijkje in het leven van de eigenaar van een groot entertainmentbedrijf, je leert meer over de middeleeuwen, paarden en zelfs een beetje over zoölogie.
Grote levenslessen ben ik niet tegengekomen, maar al met al een vermakelijke inkijk in het leven van een interessant mens.
July 21, 2023
Me: Is it possible to write a business book that isn't deadly boring?
Jason: Hold my sword and watch.
Such a conversation would only be possible if Jason gave someone his sword to hold, and I'm not at all sure he would ever do that :)
Jason Kingsley describes his leading the Rebellion according to medieval codes of chivalry. The code of chivalry is something everyone knows it is there, though it is not written down anywhere. Kingsley structures his chapters according to the twelve virtues of the medieval warrior, starting with Faith and ending with Valour. Step by step and point by point, he proves, sometimes with very amusing examples, that it is possible to successfully run a large company without abandoning your values and principles. In doing so, he recounts a large part of his life - a life filled with work (don't go on holiday with Jason, it won't work!), but with working towards his dreams. Work that is meant to bring joy not only to the customers, but also to the employees and founders of the company. I really like the affectionate and respectful way he writes about his brother Chris, co-founder and co-owner of Rebellion. Kingsley as CEO doesn't practice corporate byzantinism: he doesn't have a secretary, an assistant or dragons guarding the office, but his management system is feudal in the best sense of the word. He who has the most power also has the most responsibilities, bearing in mind that the fate of 500 people and their families depends on his decisions.
I must admit that, reaching for this book, I feared that when the author mentioned the Christian faith as the basic organising system of medieval reality, he might repeat the many follies circulating in the secular world of Western Europe - fortunately, nothing of the sort. Though agnostic himself, he is honest and respectful of faith and the Church as essential things for people - not just medieval people. Thanks.
Fans of the Modern History TV channel will find plenty of warm words in this book especially about horses, the author's great love. Most of these are of course given to Warlord, a horse who, in my opinion, doesn't speak only out of fear that, being a Spanish breed, he wouldn't have a perfect English accent, because otherwise he understands absolutely everything. Fans of computer games will find in "Leading the Rebellion" everything and much more - some chapters, unfortunately, apart from the title, have almost no reference to the code of chivalry and deal exclusively with game development, which for non-maniacs can be tiresome and make them flip through the pages faster. Fortunately, the author then comes back and lets you breathe - the book ends with a beautiful chapter on Valour using jousting as an example.
Commenting on a Modern History TV episode on the essence of chivalry, I once wrote that the essence of modern chivalry according to Jason Kingsley seems to be friendliness. And this book confirms that I was right. Its author is fundamentally fond of people and tries to treat them with friendliness - as do animals, landscape and objects. So does for the reader, giving him or her half a day's good reading.
Jason: Hold my sword and watch.
Such a conversation would only be possible if Jason gave someone his sword to hold, and I'm not at all sure he would ever do that :)
Jason Kingsley describes his leading the Rebellion according to medieval codes of chivalry. The code of chivalry is something everyone knows it is there, though it is not written down anywhere. Kingsley structures his chapters according to the twelve virtues of the medieval warrior, starting with Faith and ending with Valour. Step by step and point by point, he proves, sometimes with very amusing examples, that it is possible to successfully run a large company without abandoning your values and principles. In doing so, he recounts a large part of his life - a life filled with work (don't go on holiday with Jason, it won't work!), but with working towards his dreams. Work that is meant to bring joy not only to the customers, but also to the employees and founders of the company. I really like the affectionate and respectful way he writes about his brother Chris, co-founder and co-owner of Rebellion. Kingsley as CEO doesn't practice corporate byzantinism: he doesn't have a secretary, an assistant or dragons guarding the office, but his management system is feudal in the best sense of the word. He who has the most power also has the most responsibilities, bearing in mind that the fate of 500 people and their families depends on his decisions.
I must admit that, reaching for this book, I feared that when the author mentioned the Christian faith as the basic organising system of medieval reality, he might repeat the many follies circulating in the secular world of Western Europe - fortunately, nothing of the sort. Though agnostic himself, he is honest and respectful of faith and the Church as essential things for people - not just medieval people. Thanks.
Fans of the Modern History TV channel will find plenty of warm words in this book especially about horses, the author's great love. Most of these are of course given to Warlord, a horse who, in my opinion, doesn't speak only out of fear that, being a Spanish breed, he wouldn't have a perfect English accent, because otherwise he understands absolutely everything. Fans of computer games will find in "Leading the Rebellion" everything and much more - some chapters, unfortunately, apart from the title, have almost no reference to the code of chivalry and deal exclusively with game development, which for non-maniacs can be tiresome and make them flip through the pages faster. Fortunately, the author then comes back and lets you breathe - the book ends with a beautiful chapter on Valour using jousting as an example.
Commenting on a Modern History TV episode on the essence of chivalry, I once wrote that the essence of modern chivalry according to Jason Kingsley seems to be friendliness. And this book confirms that I was right. Its author is fundamentally fond of people and tries to treat them with friendliness - as do animals, landscape and objects. So does for the reader, giving him or her half a day's good reading.
October 25, 2023
A great read by businessman and contact jouster Jason Kingsley! A modern take on how the pillars of chivalry can and should be applied to daily life.
Much of this book resonated with me as I have throughout my life subconsciously lived by similar standards. Ideals that likely seeded in my soul during my medieval studies in university. Lots of the values in here have certainly also flowed into our western and cowboy culture as well.
I took lots away from this book. It is a very enjoyable read! Beauful pictures of Kingsleys gorgeous lusitanos and armour collection as well!
Much of this book resonated with me as I have throughout my life subconsciously lived by similar standards. Ideals that likely seeded in my soul during my medieval studies in university. Lots of the values in here have certainly also flowed into our western and cowboy culture as well.
I took lots away from this book. It is a very enjoyable read! Beauful pictures of Kingsleys gorgeous lusitanos and armour collection as well!
December 15, 2023
I went into this expecting a unique self development book and, while there are elements of that, walked away pleasantly surprised by the stories and first-hand experience of a life seemingly well-lived. Definitely more autobiography than self-help but made better for it. Fun read for anyone interested in living interestingly.
June 2, 2024
Good advice in life and business. Not the book I expected, but honestly, I'd never heard of Rebellion or their games. But a great book regardless. Easy read. It was hard not to just burn through the pages. Jason writes in a very conversational style, and aside from some Kings English to American English translation I had to do, it was easy to read. Well done, mate.
January 6, 2025
I quaffed a point or two while reading this as the narrative was very much like having a rambling chat in the local. And that’s a good thing. A very enjoyable read.
August 27, 2025
Some interesting life stories and lessons he's learned, epilogue could have had more punch but there were some ideas and perspectives worth reading
July 25, 2024
Jason Kingsley, CBE, is CEO of a highly successful media empire which includes computer games, publishing books, comics and graphic novels. Along with his brother Chris, he also owns a film and TV studio, a motion capture studio and produces board games. He received his OBE honor from Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 2012. For most of us, that would be a 36 hour/day job. But Mr. Kingsley also presents an enjoyable You Tube Channel called Modern History TV and a podcast series called Future Imperfect. For a hobby, he cares for 17 horses and runs his farm. All of that provides a rich and engrossing canvas on which he has created this book. Mr. Kingsley has always studied Medieval History and the Chivalric Code. In this enjoyable book, he shows how many of the Knightly virtues can inform Modern life and business practice. The book's style is conversational in tone. The author explains many factors of running a successful business while acknowledging and valuing the contributions of his associates and staff. He also discusses how the tenants of Chivalry provide a foundation for his personal life. Do all these parts make a whole picture of a very interesting lifestyle? Absolutely! Is the book dull? Absolutely not! Throughout, the author has offered clever and funny anecdotes. It is a very interesting window into the philosophy and practice of an eclectic and successful man. It also includes many takeaways for the reader to consider for their own success.
December 9, 2024
"This book is neither a conventional biography, though there are of course biographical elements, nor specifically an instruction manual, but a bit of both" -Jason Kingsley
Mr. Kingsley puts this book into perspective perfectly in his own words. At times during this read I wondered where he was going with his stories, what point each chapter was actually making and I ended that chapter in a very different place than it's title assured me. However, I couldn't put the damn thing down. Perhaps it was the cross section of my two childhood loves, video games and medieval times. Or perhaps it was Mr. Kingsley's miriad of intriguing stories or even his positivity seeping through his writing. Or perhaps even his delving into my adulthood passions of entrepreneurship and learning. Regardless this was a great read that I will be passing along to others.
Mr. Kingsley puts this book into perspective perfectly in his own words. At times during this read I wondered where he was going with his stories, what point each chapter was actually making and I ended that chapter in a very different place than it's title assured me. However, I couldn't put the damn thing down. Perhaps it was the cross section of my two childhood loves, video games and medieval times. Or perhaps it was Mr. Kingsley's miriad of intriguing stories or even his positivity seeping through his writing. Or perhaps even his delving into my adulthood passions of entrepreneurship and learning. Regardless this was a great read that I will be passing along to others.
December 31, 2023
Inspirational
As a fan of the Modern History videos, it was fun to learn more about their creator, but the book delves into some intriguing areas of natural history, philosophy, and technology.
As a fan of the Modern History videos, it was fun to learn more about their creator, but the book delves into some intriguing areas of natural history, philosophy, and technology.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews