The 25th anniversary edition of the groundbreaking New York Times bestseller with a new
afterword by the author--which offers a new vision of what it is to be a man. In this
timeless and deeply learned classic poet and translator Robert Bly offers nothing less than a
new vision of what it means to be a man. Bly' s vision is based on his ongoing work with
men as well as on 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 a
mentor or "Wild Man" guides a young man through eight stages of male growth-to remind us of
ways of knowing long forgotten images of deep and vigorous masculinity centered in feeling and
protective of the young. At once down-to-earth and elevated combining the grandeur of myth
with the practical and often painful lessons of our own histories Iron John is an astonishing
work that will continue to guide and inspire men-and women-for years to come.
