The indomitable Ms Proulx once again shows her prowess in her excellent collection of true grit short stories about modern Wyoming with its cowboys in luxury ATVs prowling over a vast suburb of rich outsiders on glitzy ranches by nodding to this work by Reginald Reynolds on the history of beards in our civilization.
She points out that Mr. Reynolds' book was published in 1950 and had an interesting chapter in it titled, "Cullinary Instructions for Christian Cannibals" in which it is claimed that Richard the Lion Hearted once entertained his crusader warriors with a banquet in which the shaved decapitated heads of Saracen warriors were served as the centerpiece of the meal. Beards and the attendance of them plays a large role in the Islamic doctrine.
As i am a devoted fan of Ms Proulx even though I do not really know how her name is really pronounced..... I think it sounds like prewll or pru'll.... often the X in French is silent.
It was astounding to be sitting here in Paris reading her "Bad Dirt" stories of Wyoming and find that she has not just made up Reginald Beard and his History of Beards.
Mr. Dale's book is a very close shave. It is a good read.
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