Christopher E. Forth

I think this is a truly interesting book, which presents a chronological history of how masculinity has changed in the West. And with that content base, Forth does a lot; he writes well and writes in an appropriate and readable manner.

That said, this book sort of lacks a thesis [my main critique]. Now that's perfectly okay if you are wanting to read on the history of western acts of masculinity, but in the context of gender theory (something Forth's book flirts with), there isn't much ground broken. This isn't something "bad," just "un-good."

I do think this is a good read, but either in the framing of the book or of the presentation of the book to me, I felt that it aligned itself with too much normative theory, which it doesn't follow up upon. Four stars if that promise was never made. Three if it was. Three-point-five it is.… (mehr)