John Fraser explores a paradox about the USA: that a country dedicated to rationality, progress, equality and success has always had a strong attachment to the medieval ideas of nobility and chivalry and the high toned violence that goes with them. The strange consequences of this attachment spread deep into US history and politics: They were at the heart of the Civil War but also give a flavour to domestic politics, especially industrial relations. They also sound a special note in American fiction, from Twain to The Great Gatsby and beyond and in the whole of popular culture, especially the movies. This aspect of the American spirit is one of the many admirable things about this country and Fraser has written a book that will move its readers as well as instruct, enlighten and amuse them.
