Shop Ani- May
Add Prime to get Fast, Free delivery
Amazon prime logo
Buy new:
$19.10
FREE delivery Friday, May 23 to Nashville 37217 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Ships from: Amazon
Sold by: SBA Book Store
$19.10
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
FREE delivery Friday, May 23 to Nashville 37217 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$19.10 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$19.10
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon
Amazon
Ships from
Amazon
Returns
30-day refund/replacement
30-day refund/replacement
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$9.78
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
Used book in good and clean conditions. Pages and cover are intact. Limited notes marks and highlighting may be present. May show signs of normal shelf wear and bends on edges. Item may be missing CDs or access codes. May include library marks. Ships directly from Amazon. Used book in good and clean conditions. Pages and cover are intact. Limited notes marks and highlighting may be present. May show signs of normal shelf wear and bends on edges. Item may be missing CDs or access codes. May include library marks. Ships directly from Amazon. See less
FREE delivery Friday, May 23 to Nashville 37217 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or Prime members get FREE delivery Tuesday, May 20. Order within 8 hrs 29 mins.
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$19.10 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$19.10
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Robert Bly
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Iron John: A Book About Men Paperback – July 28, 2004

by Robert Bly (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars 629 ratings
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$19.10","priceAmount":19.10,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"19","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"10","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"hkNvzjNVp%2FIrkzJWSNrBgZEzFHM7gWw1Z8mA8DkbJU4bVHgqpFblv%2FgIL9suqkjCPAl3YIN4Ul4to0JpjQq4NJhbGL%2BCYUVKFaVm1OCRxmaTH7Qp44txEInJr2PHyLTNO4O7wqIt8F1wsE9LQX%2F3znaINIC%2FnT%2BJV7tfyLXvjax6QTtRJqjAsT6lSQ%2FFPJzo","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$9.78","priceAmount":9.78,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"9","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"78","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"hkNvzjNVp%2FIrkzJWSNrBgZEzFHM7gWw1Kzd1KH4FeMyAUwmatKIUaqgHFFe92x1KDLz8Ln%2FZ0YcI6SD2yJHvQAtAYrycC2FyHovvAOt1R6KPngZRCDI8uO42ERJG5rhZcUhAz4bnrZvfLsa7HYEta2LyfiPNVbouIJAxdzPEFIOqoNeOp1Sc18oBXa1lZYOU","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

In this deeply learned book, poet and translator Robert Bly offers nothing less than a new vision of what it is to be a man.Bly's vision is based on his ongoing work with men and reflections on his own life. He addresses the devastating effects of remote fathers and mourns the disappearance of male initiation rites in our culture. Finding rich meaning in ancient stories and legends, Bly uses the Grimm fairy tale "Iron John," in which the narrator, or "Wild Man," guides a young man through eight stages of male growth, to remind us of archetypes long forgotten-images of vigorous masculinity, both protective and emotionally centered.Simultaneously poetic and down-to-earth, combining the grandeur of myth with the practical and often painful lessons of our own histories, Iron John is a rare work that will continue to guide and inspire men-and women-for years to come.
Read more
Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    288 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Da Capo Press
  4. Publication date
    July 28, 2004
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0306813769
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0306813764
Next slide of product details

There is a newer edition of this item:

Iron John: A Book about Men
Iron John: A Book about Men
$16.52
(1,271)
In Stock
The%20Amazon%20Book%20Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now

Frequently bought together

Iron John: A Book About Men
This item: Iron John: A Book About Men
$19.10
Get it as soon as Friday, May 23
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Sold by SBA Book Store and ships from Amazon Fulfillment.
+
King, Warrior, Magician, Lover: Rediscovering Masculinity Through the Lens of Archetypal Psychology - A Journey into the Male
$14.39
Get it as soon as Friday, May 23
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price: $00
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
One of these items ships sooner than the other.
Show details Hide details
Choose items to buy together.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A 'classic' of sexual politics...[Bly's] heartfelt analysis of the Iron John story [is] a delight to read and an inspiration." -- Curled Up with a Good Book 7/25/05

"A brilliantly eclectic written meditation...an invisible contribution to the gathering public conversation about what it means to be male-or female." -- Deborah Tannen, Washington Post

"Important and timely" -- New York Times

About the Author

Robert Bly is the author of many books of poetry. He is also a renowned translator, editor, and a founder of the Men's Movement. He lives in Minneapolis and in Moose Lake, Minnesota.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Da Capo Press
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 28, 2004
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ Reprint
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0306813769
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0306813764
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.5 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 629 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Robert Bly

Robert Bly

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
629 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find the book excellent for both men and women, with insightful content that helps readers understand their lives as magic beings. Moreover, the story form is engaging, with one customer noting it can be read in one sitting. However, the writing style receives mixed reactions, with some appreciating the poetic zingers while others find it heavy on mythological references.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

55 customers mention "Readability"51 positive4 negative

Customers find the book highly readable and excellent for both men and women, with one customer describing it as a fun bathroom read.

"...Probably worth a read if you like: Joseph Campbell, Freud, Bettelheim, or Seneca (and other stoics)..." Read more

"...or he makes generalizations that are too broad, but, in general, the book is gold...." Read more

"...It was a quick read, and I really enjoyed it...." Read more

"...One of the most important books on gender, ever, at a time that it is possibly need more than ever." Read more

37 customers mention "Insight"37 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful, helping their quest for understanding and providing good information, with one customer noting its psychological depth.

"...the point is more that i found it fascinating and not so dry that i couldn't finish it...." Read more

"...Robert Bly is a fantastic writer. Part poet, part cultural anthropologist, he has a style that is both lush and crisp at the same time...." Read more

"...Developing boundaries, purpose in life and and other manly shit. Reading this book made me realize how these characteristics are neglected today...." Read more

"...This book, Iron John, provides perspective into the historical roles that men have held in society and the journey that must naturally occur in life..." Read more

8 customers mention "Story length"8 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the story length of the book, with some describing it as one of the greatest ever told, and one customer noting it's a short story that can be read in one sitting.

"...exploration of what it means to be/become a man woven into an engaging fable...." Read more

"...whats it all about well here's away to wonder some more this story is truly wonder-full I have the audio book too adds a whole new dimension to it...." Read more

"...Iron John tells a vital story that preserves the western initiation rites of Becoming a Man...." Read more

"The book is a work of fiction...." Read more

34 customers mention "Thought provoking"22 positive12 negative

Customers have mixed reactions to the book's thought-provoking content, with some appreciating its poetic zingers and mythological references, while others find it heavy on these elements.

"...Robert has an ability to explain complicated emotional states with ease. His understanding of what men need is equally profound...." Read more

"...No real fiery rhetoric or adversarial stuff here, just a thoughtful exploration of what it means to be/become a man woven into an engaging fable...." Read more

"...the work is that the author uses the allegories, and mythological references very freely, and because of that people who know some aspects he refers..." Read more

"This is a prose poem where the author opens his heart and intellect to us...." Read more

Years after it was written and popular, this book ...
5 out of 5 stars
Years after it was written and popular, this book ...
Years after it was written and popular, this book helps me in my therapeutic work with men. I am a licensed professional counselor and a board-certified dance therapist. The Iron John journey is a felt sense and hearing the story, a piece at a time, has helped many of the men (and women) I work with grow into healthier and more whole people. -author of Naked Online: A DoZen Ways to Grow from Internet Dating
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

  • John Stiner
    5.0 out of 5 stars Masculine Pride?
    Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    the point is not whether or not i agreed with everything that was discussed. the point is more that i found it fascinating and not so dry that i couldn't finish it.
    recommended to me by my father, which is weird, but i'm glad i read it.
    - Probably worth a read if you like: Joseph Campbell, Freud, Bettelheim, or Seneca (and other stoics)

    i am a huge fan of researching storytelling, mythology, and fairy tales. there was a lot in here that i felt deepened my understanding of those areas of study.
    the psychological side of the book is also very interesting.
    it's presented in a very "take this as you will" way for the most part, although at times it seems to be a little bit of a lecturing and denegration of modern men.
    and (try as the author might to side step it) there are a few passive aggressive swipes at the women's lib movement. or that's how it read to me. it seemed as though it Bly was in pain, trying as hard as he could to not come down on women.
    nevertheless, i think there's good information and "advice" in here.
    12 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • SamuelT
    5.0 out of 5 stars Not perfect, but genuine
    Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    This book isn't perfect. Occasionally, the author draws far fetched meanings, or he makes generalizations that are too broad, but, in general, the book is gold. It's not really a self help book, nor is it a psychoanalytical interpretation of the central myth which he has built the book around. Instead, it is Robert Bly passing down, in the spirit of an elder, everything that he thinks is most important to becoming a man. He wrote the book around the age of 64, and it reads that way. It's like talking to your grandfather. If you can get through the eccentricities, you end up finding a wealth of wisdom; everything that has allowed the man to reach old age and still be happy.

    In reading it, I found that he stretched the myth sometimes to fit his purpose. Often, there were times when I would have interpreted it differently, and if he were trying to offer the definitive interpretation of the myth, I might object. However, that's not what he's trying to do. He uses the myth as a vehicle for his own understanding. In that way, he creates a new myth, one which is updated for our modern age. On the way, he also creates a vocabulary which, for myself, has helped to organize my thoughts. In particular, I found the concepts of "ashes," "copper," and "the garden," helpful.

    In short, I'm ready glad I found this book, and I recommend it to anyone who thinks that masculinity is inherently harmful, outdated, or completely meaningless.
    7 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Chris Baumgartner
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Profound Understanding Of What It Means To Be Male
    Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    The depth of this book is stunning. I love this book so much I bought two additional copies as Christmas presents for my friends.

    Robert Bly is a fantastic writer. Part poet, part cultural anthropologist, he has a style that is both lush and crisp at the same time. He is clearly a fan of Joseph Campbell; the structure of his book evokes Campbell's style. However, this is no insult. Few have the talent or skill to write in such a breezy yet lucid fashion. And Joseph Campbell is one of the twentieth century's greatest minds. Clearly, Robert is a helluva writer.

    Robert has an ability to explain complicated emotional states with ease. His understanding of what men need is equally profound. And while the book is far from thick I've found my pace through the book to be deliberately slow; every page is so rich with thought it leaves me with much to ponder.

    If you're a thinking man who realizes that modern society does not value manhood and that we've been driven away from what men are supposed to be then this book must be read by you immediately. This book acknowledges and explains how deep and multi-layered men really are. This is Fight Club for intellectuals. By it immediately...then buy three more copies for your best friends and make them read it as well. That's exactly what I did!
    39 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Nathan S
    4.0 out of 5 stars This one is worth reading
    Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    While not really a subscriber to the mythopoetic men's movement, I was interested enough in learning more about it that I bought this book - apparently regarded as one of the seminal works in the field.

    I thought it was well-written and very accessible. No real fiery rhetoric or adversarial stuff here, just a thoughtful exploration of what it means to be/become a man woven into an engaging fable. Of the 3 books I've read on this topic/genre, this is the only one I've read more than once.

    It was a quick read, and I really enjoyed it. I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in the genre, whether purely an intellectual curiosity or something more personal.
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • Julie
    5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful, Inspiring
    Reviewed in Canada on September 25, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Bly applies old wisdom about male self-actualization and his keen poetic sense to our modern (post-)feminist context. The book is as necessary now as it was when it was published twenty years ago. Everyone should read it, both men and women.
    Report
  • Robert M Grady
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great
    Reviewed in France on August 6, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I’ve now read this twice. Contrary to what some reviewers say, this is about a poetic approach to self and nature, and not another group of mindless men in a drum circle. The book advocates discovery of something masculine and lost, but this involves tenderness, ferocity, courage, creativity. It is a book of being a warrior, which is not something achieved by any number of gun purchases. It is a book of initiation to a mythic view of our own lives.
    Report
  • Lukasz
    5.0 out of 5 stars Todo perfecto
    Reviewed in Spain on October 20, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Todo salió exactamente que esperaba. No hay nada de quejarse. Sin duda volvería comprar en este lugar. Recomiendo lo mucho.
    Report
  • Average Joe
    5.0 out of 5 stars This is a map for your inner world
    Reviewed in Australia on April 17, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    I believe that this will strike the cords of every modern mans soul letting us all get in touch with every aspect we can feel missing in the suffocating structure of modern civilization.
    Report
  • Scott Rennie
    5.0 out of 5 stars fascinating and Enlightening with every page.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 28, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    This is an amazing book, offering profound insights into the male psyche. I have read many takes on the mature evolution of the masculine, but this one seems the deepest and best presented of all so far. There lies herein an understanding of the wayward and immature masculine that has impacted our modern world so dreadfully, and the root of its issues. There also lies within a map of how we as men can begin to unravel those issues and make our way back to Wholeness, to positively impact on this world as men who are men and not bland sexless emasculated drones. I have read a few reviews of this book, usually academic exercises by feminists, who say that Bly blames women for what has happened to men but I think they are then reading a different book. He makes it clear that the blame, if any, lies solely in the ways that society has evolved, but that the responsibility lies wholly and totally with men as individuals, to reclaim who they are and present it to the world with pride.
    Report