by Shannon E. French
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Product Description
Warrior cultures throughout history have developed unique codes that restrict their behavior and set them apart from the rest of society. But what possible reason could a warrior have for accepting such restraints? Why should those whose profession can force them into hellish kill-or-be-killed conditions care about such lofty concepts as honor, courage, nobility, duty, and sacrifice? And why should it matter so much to the warriors themselves that they be something more than mere murderers? The Code of the Warrior tackles these timely issues and takes the reader on a tour of warrior cultures and their values, from the ancient Greeks and Romans to the barbaric Vikings and Celts, from legendary chivalric knights to Native American tribesmen, from Chinese warrior monks pursuing enlightenment to Japanese samurai practicing death. Drawing these rich traditions up to the present, the author quests for a code for the warriors of today, as they do battle in asymmetric conflicts against unconventional forces and the scourge of global terrorism. Visit our website for sample chapters!
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Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Let's be realistic..., 2007-12-18
Nice fairy tale :) I loved it, but check this out for a more realistic and in depth overview of a military culture: Men, Militarism, and UN Peacekeeping: A Gendered Analysis (Critical Security Studies). Enjoy the reading ;)
8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
 Lessons lost in our benighted age, 2006-10-14
Professor French has produced a fascinating compilition of the heroic ideals of some of the world's greatest warrior classes. Some examples, the Medieval Knight and the code of Chivalry, the Samurai and their philosophy of Bushido, the Viking and the role of Heroic Honor in the Nordic lands. You will also find the monks of the Shaolin Temple in here, and the Native American plains tribes (An entire book would be needed to cover the heroic ideals of all the indigenous American cultures!).
The reason this book is so significant, is that the concept of Honor is virtually dead in our vapid, passive-aggressive, superficial "modern" society. Its a society dominated by hedonism, narcissism, and conformity. A society that has lost its sense of being and purpose, lost in the vast sewer of so-called "popular-culture".
In ages past, warriors formed martial fellowships adhering to a code of just and honorable conduct, so as to defend their people and way of life. It was often the struggle of their clan, tribe, or nation, against alien aggressors who would otherwise anhilate them, aggressors who might even be willing to go to any extreme to accomplish that end. Of course, in reading history, there are just as numerous examples of warriors who belonged to these institutions, whose actions and behavior was contrary to that code which they alledgedly stood for...but they don't really count. Every institution has its renegades and generally wayward members. The important factor, is that the majority did adhere to these codes, as well as they could, and the righteous nature of honorable conduct justifies itself. Those who lack a code of Honor often commit all manner of atrocities without remorse. A code of Honor, then, often serves as a guide to civilized behavior, a guide to limit or prohibit needless destruction in a conflict.
In our present age of mindless psycho-babble and "cultural-relativism" which lamely attempts to justify criminality, dependance, and ever-diminishing morality, we need a reminder of a higher philosophy of living, a concept of individuality, self-sufficiency, discipline, and self-respect. A previous reviewer, an obvious leftist, will naturally hate this book, as the concept of Honor conflicts with their perverse "alternative lifestyles"...their "if it feels good-do it" existance. The very concept is "childish?", in their point of view. As usual, some people just don't get the point. The warrior-quest is more vital now, to the human soul, than at any previous time in history.
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
An Incredible Book, 2004-09-08
This book literally blew me away. One of the most inspiring things I have ever read. By analyzing warrior cultures throughout history, The Code of the Warrior is an invaluable tool to teach people today what having a warrior code, or a virtuous code of ethics, is all about. You will walk away with a better understanding of the virtues of courage, integrity, loyalty, love, duty, honor and many others. And you will be inspired to develop your character to fight for what is honorable and true. An essential book for today's lethargic culture. If you want to develop your warrior potential and be a force in this culture for good, read this book!!
12 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
A warrior idenitity crisis?, 2004-07-24
Most of the editorial reviews on this book found in major media outfits praise this book. It is also praised by Republicans and conservatives.
I however find the book to be a bit of a stretch. The thinking is thin, the only deep, critical or insightful part of the book is the introduction and conclusion. The case studies, while braced with with that initial inquiry, are thin and one dimensional.
It assumes that the reader is somehow seeking a warrior identity, a mythic structure or meta-narrative. This is childish. It further makes these "mythic structures and meta-narratives" which somehow resemble the creatures and cultures of dungeons and dragons game, about every country except the US.
I think this book grew out of the authors flights of fancy, and she simply wanted a way to justify her D&D games.
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