Men of Iron

Men of Iron is a coming-of-age story targeted towards adolescent boys. Though written over a century ago, Howard Pyle's book is excellent at conveying a code which should never fall out of fashion: honor, friendship, loyalty, honesty, respect towards women, and the singular pursuit of a worthwhile goal. The story itself concerns the rags-to-respectability transformation of Miles Falworth, a noble-minded young man who is tasked with repairing his family's unfairly tarnished reputation. The plot progression is three fights, all of which are distinguished from needless violence by being righteous endeavors which help Miles learn and accept the code of chivalry. The first fight is born out of stubbornness, and serves to end the tyranny of the upperclassmen while teaching Miles an important lesson about leadership and cooperation. The second fight is a joust born out of duty, and serves to give Miles an important sense of self-confidence while emphasizing the positive returns paid by loyalty to king, country, and code. The final fight is a duel born out of legality (trial by ordeal), and serves to restore Miles' family to its rightful place, establish him as a man of means, and provide him with permission to marry his one true love. This book is a pleasure to read.