Chivalry [Paperback]

Maurice Keen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 10, 1986

Examines the social importance of chivalry as a secular ideal during the Middle Ages, traces the origins of knighthood and chivalry, and looks at chivalric rituals and literature.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This is a rich book, making effective use of all sorts of documents and illustrations. Keen moves easily across Europe in search of the international spirit of chivalry. . . . The pageantry he presents is colorful and his conclusions uplifting.”—David Herlihy, New York Times Book Review

““Original [and] beguiling.”—Fiona MacCarthy, Times (London)

“An elegantly written, important book.”—Carolly Erickson, Los Angeles Times Book Review

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Maurice Keen is an Emeritus Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford, where he was tutor in medieval history from 1961 to 2000. He is the author of The Outlaws of Medieval England, The Pelican History of Medieval Europe, England in the Late Middle Ages, and Origins of the English Gentleman.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (September 10, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300033605
• ISBN-13: 978-0300033601
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #353,425 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MAGNIFICENT BOOK!, April 6, 2000

By 

Rhian G. Hunt (Port Wing, WI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Chivalry (Paperback)

This solid volume is one of the best works on the complex institutions of chivalry and knighthood that I at least have ever seen. It is a very erudite work crammed with interesting information and written in an intelligent but readable style. Mr. Keen presents an argument for the reality of chivalric values that seems very convincing and well- researched. If you are at all interested in knighthood or European history, buy this book!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars *The* book on this subject, July 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Chivalry (Paperback)

Noted Oxford historian Maurice Keen's "Chivalry" is probably the best place to start and finish on the subject of chivalry. Accessible for both students and those that would continue their studies more leisurely, Prof. Keen's work is an intersting read, very knowledgable, and wideranging. Simply put, it is a must if you are interested in the real history of the subject and not the doggerel that Hollywood shovels our way.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great definition of chivalry, November 14, 2003

By 

bixodoido (Utah, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chivalry (Paperback)

When most of us think of chivalry, an image of an errant knight off to rescue a damsel in distress is usually the first thing that comes to mind. This is a romanticized image, of course, and, though not wholly inaccurate, does represent at least a part of the concept of chivalry. But there is so much more to it. In essence (according to Keen), chivalry was an entire value system that governed the lives of the whole noble class in medieval Europe. It focused around three main facets of life: war, noble standing, and religion.
Keen does a wonderful job in this book of analyzing chivalry based on first-hand accounts--poems, literature, and chivalric handbooks from the high and late Middle Ages. His explanation of chivalry is detailed and thorough, and presents a number of arguments that most people would not consider when thinking about the chivalric code. The most obvious elements are treated--the tournament, the crusades, heraldry, etc--and many not so obvious subjects are given attention as well.

Overall, this book is pretty well-written. It serves as a very valuable resource for any student of the Middle Ages, or as a good introduction to the practice of chivalry to the casual student.