Description

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From the early ballads that established his stories to the later additions of Little John, Friar Tuck, Maid Marian, and Alan-a-Dale, this book explores how the legend of Robin Hood grew.

He robbed from the rich to give to the poor, or so the legend goes. But who was the outlaw known as Robin Hood? How did his legend develop and how has it changed over the passing centuries? This new book in the Osprey Myths and Legends series takes a detailed look at Britain's most famous outlaw.

It also enters the perilous world of Robin Hood scholarship with a critical review of the case for a 'historical' Robin Hood and a review of the mostly likely candidates. A perfect primer for young and old, this book covers both the fact and the fiction of Robin Hood.

About the Author

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Neil Smith, CEO of Promontory Growth and Innovation (PGI), has for 20 years focused on helping corporations dramatically improve performance and profitability by growing revenues and innovatively reducing costs. He is the co-author of How Excellent Companies Avoid Dumb Things. Smith has led initiatives with companies including Mellon Bank, Willis, and North American Van Lines. He recently spearheaded the highly visable initiative across Bank of America.

Peter Dennis was inspired by contemporary magazines such as Look and Learn, leading him to study Illustration at Liverpool Art College. Peter has since contributed to hundreds of books, predominantly on historical subjects, including many Osprey titles. A keen wargamer and modelmaker, he is based in Nottinghamshire, UK.

Praise For…

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“As part of Osprey's new Myths and Legends series, Smith deconstructs the legend of Robin Hood, taking it back to its roots as a collection of 15th-century ballads and examining the fundamental elements. In crisp, concise, accessible language, he retells many of the most enduring Robin Hood stories from its formative periods--both the original A Gest of Robyn Hode, and later evolution in the 16th, 17th, even 19th centuries. Alongside the adventures of Robin, Little John, Will Scarlet and the rest, Smith adds historical and cultural details, placing them in context with the times and with the ongoing narrative as a whole; he even takes a stab at identifying the most likely candidates for the real Robin. As an introduction and thorough grounding to an enduring legend, this is perfect: it covers enough territory to familiarize any reader with the essential themes and components, while keeping it simple enough to appeal to any age group. Copious photos and art help to flesh things out. While Smith could have gone into more depth in the section concerning modern reinterpretations (though that might have proven prohibitively complicated); as it is, he hits the highlights of the cinematic legacy. Whether an entry point for new fans, or a leaping-off point for further research, this focus on Robin Hood is ideal.” —Publishers Weekly