Medieval Chivalry

'Richard Kaeuper's new book is a tour de force. It presents chivalry as one of the great defining forces of medieval culture. Anyone wishing to grasp medieval chivalry and indeed the middle ages as a whole will have to read this book or run the risk of seriously misunderstanding the topic.' Christoph T. Maier, University of Zurich

'Medieval Chivalry is a deeply erudite and multilayered analysis of a complicated and much misunderstood subject. Professor Kaeuper, the leading scholar in the field, examines chivalry in its political, social, economic and literary contexts. It is a tour de force that will set the terms for future discussion.' William Caferro, Vanderbilt University, Tennessee

'In what is destined to become the standard work on the subject, Richard Kaeuper's Medieval Chivalry explores the historical evolution of this aristocratic military ethos from the ninth through the fifteenth century. Guided by his unrivalled mastery of chivalric literature, Kaeuper strips away the varnish of nineteenth-century romanticism to reveal a contested ideology that at its heart valorized the practice of violence by a social elite.' Richard Abels, United States Naval Academy, Maryland

'In this masterly new study of the nature and development of European chivalry from the eleventh to the fifteenth century. Kaeuper takes us into the thought world of the medieval warrior aristocracy with verve and rare perception. He probes the essence of chivalric values and their expression in war and peace, elucidating with freshness and clarity chivalry's complex and subtly evolving interaction with religion, nobility, courtliness and the state. Impressive in its range and skilful synthesis, this valuable and thought-provoking study will be essential reading for specialists and students alike.' Matthew Strickland, University of Glasgow

'Even though the medieval institutions of chivalry and knighthood have been the object of countless investigations, there is always the need for further analysis because we face a highly complex and often changing phenomenon. Richard W. Kaeuper accepted this challenge and here presents an extensive study of medieval chivalry, offering in-depth historical perspectives, cultural and literary reflections on chivalry, and he views chivalry even in light of the history of emotions.' Albrecht Classen, Mediaevistik