Providing an exploration of modern fatherhood, this book is based on sociological, anthropological and historical research. It draws on interviews with a wide range of fathers as well as excerpts from diaries and biographies to look at the experience of being a father. The book begins with an exploration of the myth of the father through the ages and in different cultures. It looks at what fathers today can learn through these varying approaches, and explores the changing picture of father-child relationships in western culture. There is an evaluation of the time fathers spend with sons and daughters, racial variations, money matters, cultural and legal issues, and the differences in British, American and Australian homes. The book ends with a look at the politics of modern fatherhood and discusses the challenge faced by fathers who seek to reposition their role in the family and in society.