Coming Soon: The Chivalry Book Club
I’m excited to announce the launch of the Chivalry Book Club—for the purpose of reading and discussing good books with friends and coming to a better understanding of how to live a more chivalrous life.
Here’s a list of upcoming readings:
March ‘25—“The Necessity of Chivalry” by CS Lewis & The Ten Commandments of the Code of Chivalry (from Chivalry by Leon Gautier)
April ‘25—The Song of the Cid
May ‘25—The Four Cardinal Virtues by Josef Pieper: Prudence & Justice
June ‘25—The Four Cardinal Virtues: Courage & Temperance
July ‘25—The War in the Vendee by George Hill and/or For Altar and Throne by Michael Davies
August ‘25—Defenders of the West by Raymond Ibrahim: Godfrey, El Cid, Richard, St Fernando
September ‘25—Defenders of the West: St Louis, Hunyadi, Scanderbeg, Vlad
October ‘25—Mine Were of Trouble by Peter Kemp
November ‘25—Faith Hope Love by Josef Pieper
December ‘25—Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
January ‘26—The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien
February ‘26—The Two Towers by JRR Tolkien
March ‘26—The Return of the King by JRR Tolkien
April ‘26—Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
May ‘26—The Song of Roland
The plan is to post notes about the book, along with questions that arise in the reading. I hope to open up message board discussion, which I think will be best accomplished in the replies to a running post about the book. Then at the end of the month we will be discussing. (Will try to record the discussion for those who cannot attend.) I would love if Substack developed a Spaces-type capacity, but if that doesn’t happen we will hold our discussions on Discord.
Some conversations will be open to all, but many will be reserved for patrons and backers of the Guild. If you cannot afford to support the project, please send me a DM and we can work something out.
Looking forward to this! Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Postscript—
The March readings are short. Lewis’ essay is just a few pages and I will send a summary of Gautier’s Ten Commandments. The tentative date for our first discussion is Monday, March 31, 2025.
If you are open to suggestions for further reading, a brother recently recommended "True Men as We Need Them" by Bernard O'Reilly. O'Reilly was a Catholic priest in the late 1800s, writing for men during his time. I have only read the first chapter, but it was a very good chapter and very harmonius with your own work and interests.
In the opening pages, he quotes Kenelm Henry Digby (also a good candidate for further reading) and then goes on to express his hopes for the book.
"That this book will be read by young men throughout the length and breadth of our land is a hope which its author must cherish fondly...He would, then, ask every noble-hearted boy and every high-souled man who reads this page, to trust himself in the perusal of these chapters to the guidance of one who, in leading them through the ancient paths and placing the while before their eyes the illustrious examples of modern excellence, aims only at firing their souls with a holy ambition and an emulation fruitful in great deeds."
I look forward to the book club and participation. I just finished Sword & Scimitar and started on Defenders of the West based upon your recommendations in an earlier post.