Description: In Be a Perfect Man, Andrew J. Romig argues that Carolingian representations of caritas served as a discourse of power, a means by which early medieval writers made claims, both explicit and implicit, about the hierarchies of masculine power that they believed ought to exist within their world.
Review Quotes: "[I]ntelligent, well written, and provocative . . . In the Carolingian era, Adam Romig argues in this stimulating new study, the discourse surrounding perfect masculinity was concerned less with a set of traits and behaviours than it was with 'a profound cultural valuation of love, emotional sensitivity, and care for others' . . . The conclusion artfully draws together the analytical strands of the study and suggests some of its implications for the rest of the Middle Ages and beyond."-- "Early Medieval Europe"