About the book: Images of Men, Male Bodies, and the Male Sense of Self: Women, men, and their relationships with one another are central themes in Andreas Altmann’s books. His new book is about what it means to be a man: about adolescent men and old men, free spirits and mama’s boys, gentlemen and everyday heroes; about courage in the face of death and cowardice, glory and hatred, sex and sexism, helpfulness and the merciless lack of empathy.

The author describes his own attempts to find his place as a man. And, drawing on encounters and gestures from around the world, he tells of cool, passionate, loving, tactful, and generous men—of manners, style, and strength. But he also writes about the opposite: about bullies, egomaniacs, vain men, pompous fools, and terrible misogynists.