Cracking the Armor: Power, Pain, and the Lives of Men

by Michael Kaufman

First published by Viking/Penguin Canada in 1993, Cracking the Armour is now available as a free download in PDF format.

Download instructions:
The book is divided into three parts to make downloading a bit easier. You need Acrobat Adobe to read or print out these files. It is available free through a link on the "Articles" page.

Some users will be able to double click on each of the three downloads. This will automatically open the file in Adobe Acrobat. You can either read it, print it out, or download it to your computer for later printing. However, some users will find that this process creates an error in Adobe Acrobat. If that happens, simply right click on one of the three Download sections. Then choose "Save Target As..." to save it to your computer for later reading or printing.

Download Chapters 1 - 3 in PDF format (310K)

Download Chapters 4 - 7 in PDF format (365K)

Download Chapters 8 - End in PDF format (400K)

Author and scholar Michael Kimmel wrote,"This rare book - honest, thoughtful, compassionate - brilliantly exposes the contradiction at the heart of our definitions of masculinity .... Michael Kaufman offers neither pop psychological bromides, mythic quests nor contrite confessions, which makes "Cracking the Armour" - at once personal and political, plain-spoken and eloquent - a revelation."

Journalist Michele Landsberg, wrote, "Women, give this book to your teenage son, to your boyfriend, to your lover - but sneak a look at it yourself, too. Not only is it appealingly readable, but it's also an unflinchingly honest dissection of the masculine mystique, from the inside. No Wagnerian 'wild man' histrionics, no defensiveness or self-pity, but lots of energetic, tender, and pro-feminist optimism about the ways in which men might change."

Permission information

(Full copyright information appears in the PDF text.)

Single Copies for an Individual: The author (copyright owner) grants permission for an individual to download and print one copy for reading purposes but not for further reproduction or sale.

Institutions and Organizations, and Multiple Copies: Written permission is necessary for institutions and organizations (or individuals associated with institutions and organizations) to produce multiple copies for individual use, or to make it available in any electronic form. (This applies to all institutions and organizations, including educational, public sector, non-profit, corporate, and commercial enterprises.) Institutions and organizations who ask individuals (such as students in a university or college course or attendees at a training seminar) to download this work as a required reading, are also required to obtain written permission. Normally this permission will be granted for a licensing fee of $5 per copy or per user who will access this work, with the stipulation that these copies or electronic versions are not sold to generate revenues or profits above the price of reproduction plus licensing fee. Each copy (reproduced by any mechanical or electronic means) must include an author credit and the full copyright notice and permission information as it appears in the PDF text.

Reproducing up to Two Chapters: With written permission, up to two chapters may be photocopied or electronically reproduced for educational use in specific courses, without payment of a fee. Any alteration, amendment, or abridgement of chapters reproduced in this manner also requires the written approval of the copyright holder.

For permissions, contact: mk@michaelkaufman.com