The Dangerous Book For Boys By Hal Iggulden
Posted in Hardcover on Jun 14th, 2009
The Dangerous Book For Boys By Hal Iggulden
Equal parts droll and gorgeous nostalgia book and heartfelt plea for a renewed sense of adventure in the lives of boys and men, Conn and Hal Igguldens The Dangerous Book for Boys became a mammoth bestseller in the United Kingdom in 2006. Adapted, in moderation, for American customs in this edition (cricket is gone, rugby remains; conkers are out, Navajo Code Talkers in), The Dangerous Book is a guide book for dads as well as their sons, as a reminder of lore and technique that have not yet been completely lost to the digital age. Recall the adventures of Scott of the Antarctic and the Battle of the Somme, relearn how to palm a coin, tan a skin, and, most charmingly, wrap a package in brown paper and string. The books ambitions are both modest and winningly optimistic: you get the sense that by learning how to place a splint or write in invisible ink, a boy might be prepared for anything, even girls (which warrant a small but wise chapter of their own). Inside The Dangerous Book for Boys
Figure 8 Knot
Sheet Bend Knot
The Battle of Waterloo
Questions for Conn Iggulden
Conn and Hal Iggulden are two brothers who have not forgotten what it was like to be boys. Conn taught for many years before becoming one of the most admired and popular young historical novelists with his Emperor series, based on the life of Julius Caesar, and his newly embarked series on Genghis Khan, while Hal is a theater director. We asked Conn about their collaboration.
Amazon.com: Its difficult to describe what a phenomenon The Dangerous Book for Boys was in the UK last year. When I would check the bestseller list on our sister site, Amazon.co.uk, there would be, along with your book, which spent much of the year at the top of the list, a half-dozen apparent knockoff books of similar boy knowledge. Clearly, you tapped into something big. What do you think it was?
Iggulden: In a word, fathers. I am one myself and I think weve become aware that the whole health and safety overprotective culture isnt doing our sons any favors. Boys need to learn about risk. They need to fall off things occasionally, or–and this is the important bit–theyll take worse risks on their own. If we do away with challenging playgrounds and cancel school trips for fear of being sued, we dont end up with safer boys–we end up with them walking on train tracks. In the long run, its not safe at all to keep our boys in the house with a Playstation. Its not good for their health or their safety.
You only have to push a boy on a swing to see how much enjoys the thrill of danger. Its hard-wired. Remove any opportunity to test his courage and theyll find ways to test themselves that will be seriously dangerous for everyone around them. I think of it like playing the lottery–someone has to say Look, you wont win–and your children wont be hurt. Relax. It wont be you.
I think thats the core of the books success. It isnt just a collection of things to do. The heroic stories alone are something we havent had for too long. It isnt about climbing Everest, but it is an attitude, a philosophy for fathers and sons. Our institutions are too wrapped up in terror over being sued–so we have to do things with them ourselves. This book isnt a bad place to start.
As for knockoff books–great. Theyll give my son something to read that doesnt involve him learning a dull moral lesson of some kind–just enjoying an adventure or learning skills and crafts so that he has a feeling of competence and confidence–just as we have.
Amazon.com: You made some changes for the U.S. edition, and I for one am sorry that you have removed the section on conkers, if only because its such a lovely and mysterious word. What are (or what is) conkers?
Iggulden: Horse chestnuts strung on a shoelace and knocked against one another until they shatter. In the entire history of the world, no one has ever been hurt by a conker, but its still been banned by some British schools, just in case. Another school banned paper airplanes. Honestly, its enough to make you weep, if I did that sort of thing, which I try not to. Reading Jane Austen is still allowed, however.
Amazon.com: What knowledge did you decide was important to add for American boys? I notice in both editions you have an excellent and useful section on table football, as played with coins. Is paper football strictly an American pastime? Im not sure I could have gotten through the fourth grade without it.
Iggulden: I like knowing the details of battles, so Gettysburg and the Alamo had to go in, along with the Gettysburg address, stickball, state capitals, U.S. mountains, American trees, insects, U.S. historical timelines, and a lot of others. Navajo code talkers of WWII is a great chapter. It probably helps that I am a huge fan of America. It was only while rewriting for the U.S. that I realized how many positive references there already are. You have NASA and NASA trumps almost anything.
As for paper football, ever since I thought of putting the book together, people keep saying things like You have rockets in there, yes? Everyone loves rockets! Paper football is the first American one, but there will be many others. No book in the world is long enough to put them all in–unless we do a sequel, of course.
Amazon.com: Do you think The Dangerous Book for Boys is being read by actual boys, or only by nostalgic adults? Have you seen boys getting up from their Xboxes to go outside and perform first aid or tan animal skins or build go-carts?
Iggulden: Ive had a lot of emails and letters from boys who loved the book–as well as fathers. Ive had responses from kids as young as ten and an old man of 87, who pointed out a problem with the shadow stick that weve since changed. The thing to remember is that we may be older and more cynical every year, but boys simply arent. If they are given the chance to make a go-cart with their dad, they jump at it. Mine did. Nothing gives me more pleasure than to know the book is being used with fathers and sons together, trying things out. Nothing is more valuable to a boy than time with his dad, learning something fun–or something difficult. Thats part of the attitude too. If its hard, you dont make it easy, you grab it by the throat and hang on for as long as it takes.
The book is often bought by fathers, of course. Their sons dont know Scott of the Antarctic is a great adventure story. How could they if it isnt taught any more? Good, heroic stories dont appear much in modern school curriculums–and then we wonder why boys dont seem interested.
Amazon.com: And finally, on to the important questions: Should Pluto still be a planet? And what was the best dinosaur?
Iggulden: Pluto is a planet. I know
Customer Reviews & Opinions
Review Dangerous Boys - Great Book
Great book for a 12 year old boy scout with imagination. My nephew loves to figure out how stuff works and this is perfect.
received product quickly~
We received the book right away and it was in great condition. Good value for the money.
Fantastic Easter Gift!
We gave this to our 8 year old son for Easter, in leiu of a bunch of candy, and he has yet to put it down! He is absolutely enthralled, and has taught us a few things. Outstanding gift for a young man.
