Gentlemen's Blood: A Thousand Years of Sword and Pistol

I must agree with all the other reviewers, though that may seem hard to do. The book was immensely entertaining on account of the author's wit. The chapter on Pushkin was completely tangential to the topic, up until he was shot in a duel. However, the chapter was nonetheless a delight to read. I suppose if one were writing a history report about dueling in Russia, the chapter would be a disappointment. However, if one were writing such a report, I would hope one would look for more scholarly material. This book is meant for easy reading. It is a fun book to read so that you can have funny anecdote to spout off at your next cocktail party. Of course, the author does offer a little commentary about honour and such things of that nature. However, I kept reading not because the book was a biting social commentary, but because the stories were just too funny. I remember the particular story about a duel between a man and a dog that was sanctioned and witnessed by some crowned prince or other. I don't do justice to the author's wit, but that's okay. I suggest that you pick this book up and read it on your next plane ride somewhere or as light reading. You will no regret it.

"Gentlemen's Blood" is undoubtedly the most entertaining and informative book about dueling that I have yet read. Baldick's "The Duel" is a close runner-up, but that author doesn't match Barabara Holland's wry writing style. She is well-versed on her facts and her dueling lore, and displays an amazing breadth of knowlege of the subject. Her exposition of the whole concept of "honor", and the associated concept of "gentleman", are as lucid and thoughtful as any reader could hope for, but never tedious. Once begun, this is a hard book to put down.

The topic of this book seems off-putting, for some reason. It seems that we all assume that the history of dueling would be grim, dull and depressing. But on a whim, I checked this book out from the library. Within a day or two, I had placed my order to buy it. It is an intelligent and a very engaging read. Barbara Holland brings her charming wit to every page.

I find myself wondering if were dueling still legal whether someone would challenge the author for casting aspersions on the practice.All jokes aside, "Gentlemen's Blood" is a witty and engaging look at a social custom that seems incomprehensible in the late 21st century. Reading it, I could only think of how many stupid things are done in the name of honor and manhood.I disagree with the negative comments about this book. I don't think the author is a "hack," and I don't think that she spares the readers descriptions about how unpleasant it is to get stabbed or shot. Pushkin's death from being gut shot in his last duel is a particularly vivid image that she describes.I also think that people should not read it expecting a deep discussion about swordplay and gunslinging. The book is meant to be amusing and informative, and it certainly is.The only criticism that I have against "Gentlemen's Blood" is that the author's thesis that modern day warfare is just dueling writ large is idiotic. In the past, some wars --particularly those of absolute rulers-- had features of duels, however, I would submit that an event like World War II or Vietnam is nothing like a duel.

Barbara Holland has a winning way of bringing historical figures vividly to life. For instance, our illustrious presidents are all too human in "Hail to the Chiefs," her delightful romp through American history (updated to include George W. and reissued by The Permanent Press, 2003). In Holland's "Brief Heroes and Histories"--many gathered from biographical sketches previously published in "Smithsonian" magazine--figures from Cleopatra to Elvis to Marx are re-examined with a fresh and funny perspective (Akadine Press, 1998). "They Went Whistling" (Random House, 2001) is closer in structure to "Gentlemen's Blood," in that the most interesting people and stories have been carefully sifted by Holland and served up with flair for our amused edification--in "Whistling," women who flout the conventions of their times and have Adventures, and in "Gentlemen's Blood," duels and those who fight them. I highly recommend Holland's latest work. Aficionados of guns and such equipment may be disappointed, as this is a history of duels, not an encyclopedia of weaponry. And anyone whose research methods and subsequent writing can withstand the scrutiny of the "Smithsonian" editorial board is no slouch. Enjoy the book!