The Reign of Chivalry - Hardcover

Barber, Richard

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1843831821 ISBN 13: 9781843831822

Publisher: Boydell Press, 2005

Synopsis

Profusely illustrated and redesigned for a new generation of readers, Richard Barber's classic The Reign of Chivalry presents a broad picture of the chivalric world, and shows how chivalry affected or was affected by great social movements, great writers and great events, and analyses the legacy it passed down to later ages. The opening chapter looks at the central figure of the whole chivalric world, the knight, and asks why he is such a different figure from other fighting men. Following sections deal with chivalry in relation to the main themes of medieval literature, especially the vast cycle of Arthurian romances, and discuss the attitudes towards chivalry of writers such as Jean Froissart, whose pages cast a golden glow over the harsh realities of war. Later sections look at chivalry's influence on the Renaissance and later culture, beginning with the knight's transition to gentleman. The element by which chivalry is now most remembered, its respectful, even adoring, attitude towards women, is the subject of a wide-ranging discussion, covering both medieval reality and modern ideals. Richard Barber, author of Holy Grail: History of a Legend/I>, Myths and Legends of the British Isles and King Arthur: Hero and Legend, has written an engaging and intriguing book on one of the most original concepts of the medieval mind.

About this title

About the Author:

Richard Barber, author of Holy Grail: History of a Legend, Myths and Legends of the British Isles and King Arthur: Hero and Legend, has written an engaging and intriguing book on one of the most original concepts of the medieval mind.

Review:

Beautifully illustrated, detailed and clearly written, Barber's book is a fine introduction for the general reader. His chapter on courtly poetry and romance is the best short treatment of the subject I've come across in a decade of intermittent teaching on medieval literature. TOUCHSTONEVery attractive (and) makes a fascinating yet complex subject accessible to all. THE RICARDIANAn extremely well-researched and well-structured book...(produced to) the highest quality, with particularly fine colour and black and white reproductions. JOURNAL OF THE AUSTRALIAN EARLY MEDIEVAL ASSOCIATIONA very accessible text that both informs and entertains, enhanced greatly by full colour illustrations from period sources with accompanying photographs. WWW.RANDLESREVIEWS.CO.UK Written in an engaging style, and gloriously illustrated throughout. ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW

About this edition

• Publisher: Boydell Press
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 1843831821
• ISBN 13: 9781843831822
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 232