What is the role of the modern father? How do fathers see themselves? Who do modern fathers use as their role models? As traditional gender roles have changed, do fathers still have a unique place in contemporary society? These are the questions this book poses. It is an exploration of modern fatherhood based on the sociological, anthropological and historical research, drawing on interviews with a wide range of fathers as well as excerpts from diaries and biographies on the experience of being a father. Part one of the book, "Yesterday's fathers", explores the myth of the father through the ages and in different cultures, looking at what fathers today can learn from these varying approaches. Part two, "Fathers today", uses statistics to explore the picture of father-child relationships in Western culture, including the time they spend with their male and female children, racial variations, money matters, cultural and legal issues and the difference in British, American and Australian homes. Part three examines modern fathering and the challenge that fathers face as they reposition their role in the family and in society.