A book about chivalry's origins

And what a "gentleman" really is

Okay, first of all, huge flex for him to cover blurb his own book. Gonna steal that move, Brad.

Second, this was a detailed look at the history of chivalry, starting with the language used by the Greeks and Romans, and later the Middle Age practices that gave rise to what we think of as “gentlemanly behavior.”

Everything Miner highlights here sounds familiar, like it’s all stuff you’ve observed in true gentlemen, without really knowing why. He does correct various misconceptions and also digs into the origins of modern-day practices which weren’t shared by old English knights (some of the forerunners to ‘complete gentlemen.’)

For me the main takeaway was the overlap between textbook chivalry and practical Stoicism. There’s an acceptance of the facts of life that lends itself to better self-control among gentlemen. He also delves into the differences between the sexes, and how principles of true chivalry can be lived in a society that tries to blur the lines.

Really I’m grateful that this book was published in 2004 and therefore didn’t get infected by a lot of the 2020s dreck about “gender roles.” 2004 was a good year, we were still in the business of making good decisions as a culture. (To an extent, I mean, let’s not get too crazy.)

I also appreciated the few times when he mentioned that men should be physically fit and mentally prepared for violence and/or combat. This is an underrated truth in our day.

So yeah, good book, you should read it. 4/5 stars.