Book Review: Mansfield's Book of Manly Men by Stephen Mansfield

“My goal in this book is simple. I want to identify what a genuine man does—the virtues, the habits, the disciplines, the duties, the actions of true manhood—and then call men to do it.” - Stephen Mansfield

Mansfield’s Book of Manly Men by Stephen Mansfield, with a foreword by Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin

Mansfield’s Book of Manly Men is a sort of manly guidance book for men and boys of all ages. Stephen Mansfield examines manliness from a Biblical perspective, and finds that our current culture sadly undermines, under-appreciates, and even perverts traditional masculine values. Drawing upon men from the Bible as well as from history and his own life, Mansfield teaches the proper role of a man: from how a man shoulders responsibility, to how he handles defeats and setbacks gracefully, to appropriate use of humor. He takes King David's words to Solomon as a clarion cry to all men, ""...be strong and show yourself a man." (1 Kings 2:2).

Each chapter includes a profile of a role model – these men include Lincoln, Churchill, King David, Kipling, Booker T. Washington, and more. The witty and informative profiles show just how each particular man exemplifies a specific virtue or character trait in a manly manner.

The book ends with “Fifty Quotes for Manly Men” – page after page of thought-provoking and intelligent inspiration for any man - and for the women that love them and want to encourage them to be their very best. Mansfield understands that a man must cultivate mind, body, and soul – and his proscriptions address all three.

As the mother of a son, I am thankful for this book – and I plan to pass it along to him now that I am finished with it. Many of Mansfield’s lessons are lessons I have tried to pass along myself  – and Mansfield’s “man to man” aspect can only enforce what we already believe.

Mansfield's Book of Manly Men can be purchased for $19.99 at a local bookstore or online directly from the Book of Manly Men website, or from Thomas Nelson Publishing, or at sites like Amazon or bn.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson through BookSneeze in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trace Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."