There is no such thing as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. A hurried mind is an addled mind; it cannot see clearly or hear precisely; it sees what it wants to see, or hears what it is afraid to hear, and misses much. A knight makes time his ally. There is a moment for action, and with a clear mind that moment is obvious. The idea of chivalry was conceived alongside the crusades in the dark ages and its goal was to diminish the brutality of these crusades as well as to make men loyal to the Christian faith. Later he told me when he was younger he learned the secret to performing under pressure: don't do it for yourself. Do it for someone else." pg 67

Pieces similar to the knight are found in almost all games of the chess family. The ma of xiangqi and janggi is slightly more restricted; conceptually, the piece is considered to pass through the adjacent orthogonal point, which must be unoccupied, rather than "jumping". Another related piece is the keima of shogi, which moves like a knight but can move only two squares forward followed by one square sideways, restricting its movement to two possible squares. The book received some criticism for its "anachronistic nature", but was positively reviewed over all. The very first fable in Rules for a Knight, on the subject of solitude, is a retelling of the Native American fable of The Two Wolves. [3]

Love– Thomas recalls falling in love with the Duchess of York, who used him to gain favor with a prince. Distraught, Thomas becomes distracted, and accidentally causes a fire in his house. After his grandfather is injured, he sends for a healer. The healer has died, but her daughter aides Thomas. Thomas falls very slowly in love with healer's daughter, and eventually marries her. He then wishes his children the kind of relationship he has had with their mother.

I want to note the lovely, minimalist design of the book as a physical object; and, along with that, it cannot be left unsaid that Ryan Hawke's illustrations prefacing each chapter are lovely and tonally perfect for the material. Each one of us is walking our own road. We are born at specific times, in specific places, and our challenges are unique. As knights, understanding and respecting our distinctiveness is vital to our ability to harness our collective strength. The use of force may be necessary to protect in an emergency, but only justice, fairness, and cooperation can truly succeed in leading men. We must live and work together as brothers or perish together as fools. How a knight lives is what is important, not on which particular afternoon he was born or on which specific morning he might die. Publishing director Jocasta Hamilton said the book was “executed with wit and elegance”, describing it as “a parable for all ages which has the potential to become a classic”. “With the appeal of an Arthurian legend and the economy of Aesop, it draws on eastern and western philosophy and literature. I think we all need to be reminded, as well as taught, how to live.” There are only two possible outcomes whenever you compare yourself to another, vanity or bitterness, and both are without value." pg 39Pay attention: what you need to know is usually in front of you. There are no secrets, just things people choose not to notice. This handbook for knights is a 6” x 4” hardcover bound with green cloth and a gold ribbon to place as you read. Hawke initially did not intend it for wide circulation: It was begun when his wife and he decided to have some “rules of the house,” which became more like “rules for living” the more he tried to think about what was really important to share with his children. A tasty, if not always tasteful, tale of supernatural mayhem that fans of King and Crichton alike will enjoy. It’s difficult to explain, but in some ways it can be easy to be supportive when your friend is hurt or sad. You may find it is more challenging to be wholeheartedly supportive when extreme good fortune befalls a friend and not you. In 1483, Sir Thomas Lemuel Hawke of Cornwall was among 323 killed at the Battle of Slaughter Bridge. Foreseeing this outcome, Sir Thomas wrote a letter to his children in Cornish outlining the Rules for a Knight — the life lessons Sir Thomas wished to pass along to his four children.

An audiobook of Rules for a Knight has been recorded. It is narrated by actor Alessandro Nivola and runs 2 hrs 15 min. It was published by Brilliance Audio in 2015. [6] Reception [ edit ] Why am I alive? Where was I before I was born? What will happen to me when I die? Whatever well our lives are drawn from, it is deep, wild, mysterious, and unknowable...."

I began and completed this feel-good gem all in one afternoon! Behold some of my favourite passages in the form of a list of rules written by a knight in the early 1400’s to guide his children! Genius! Several of the fables related in the book bear great resemblance to other classic fables. The fable of forgiveness that Hawke relates in Forgiveness contains a similar situation and nearly identical closing phrase as the Buddhist/Taoist fable of The Two Monks and the Woman. [4]