Richard Barber, author of Holy Grail: The History of a Legend and King
Arthur: Hero and Legend, has written an engaging and intriguing book on
one of the most original concepts of the medieval mind. Profusely
illustrated and redesigned for a new generation of readers.
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 greatsocial 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, 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.
