Merry Adventures of Robin Hood

Howard Pyle's 1883 masterpiece single-handedly created the Robin Hood we know today. Before this book, the legendary outlaw existed only in fragmented medieval ballads and varying oral traditions. Pyle synthesized those wild tales into one glorious narrative, cementing the image of Robin as the noble archer of Sherwood Forest who steals from corrupt rich men and gives to suffering peasants. The story follows Robin and his band of Merry Men, Little John, Friar Tuck, Will Scarlet, and the rest, as they outwit the wicked Sheriff of Nottingham, rescue victims of unjust nobility, and dance through one daring adventure after another. Pyle writes in a robust, rolling style that echoes the old English ballads, full of humor, swordplay, and surprising tenderness. This is swashbuckling adventure at its mostpure: a book where the good guys win, the bow is mightier than the sword, and courage always finds its reward. It has been delighting readers for over a century and remains the definitive version of English folklore's greatest hero.