The History of Duelling (Vol.1&2) (Annotated)

The History of Duelling (Vol. 1 & 2) is an expansive historical inquiry into the ritualized violence of honour, tracing its origins from ancient ordeals and judicial combat through chivalric Europe to the codified encounters of the modern gentleman. Millingen writes in a learned, anecdotal style, combining legal history, social criticism, and antiquarian narrative, situating duelling within broader debates about courage, class, masculinity, and the authority of law. J. G. Millingen was a physician, military surgeon, and prolific man of letters whose career brought him into contact with both the cultivated elite and the martial culture of nineteenth-century Europe. His medical knowledge of bodily injury, his experience of military life, and his cosmopolitan intellectual formation all inform the book's fascination with the paradox of "civilized" violence. He writes not merely as a collector of curiosities, but as a moral observer of a dangerous social institution. This work is recommended to readers interested in legal history, European manners, military culture, and the literature of honour. It remains valuable for its breadth, documentary richness, and acute understanding of how societies transform private insult into public ritual.

This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
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John Gideon Millingen (1782-1862) was a British army surgeon and author. Born in Westminster to parents of Dutch descent, Millingen was educated in Paris where he achieved his medical degree. He became an assistant surgeon in the British Army in 1802, serving in the Peninsular War and won a medal at Waterloo and the surrender of Paris.