The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood (Illustrated Edition)

by Howard Pyle

Overview

Robin Hood is England's most famous outlaw, who robbed from the rich to give to the poor. In Robin Hood's long history, his story has appeared in many forms, from verse to film. His path to outlawry, friends and enemies have been just as diverse.

In this book, Pyle synthesized many traditional Robin Hood legends and ballads in this work, while toning them down to make them suitable for readers of all ages.. For instance, he modified the ballad "Robin Hood's Progress to Nottingham", changing it from Robin killing fourteen foresters for not honoring a bet, to Robin defending himself against a band of armed robbers. Pyle has Robin kill only one man--who shoots at him first. Tales in which Robin steals all that an ambushed traveler carried, such as "Robin Hood and the Bishop of Hereford", are changed so that the victim keeps a third, and another third is dedicated to the poor.

This edition of the book contains 42 original illustrations, rejuvenated.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940156955435
Publisher:	New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1881
Publication date:	09/25/2016
Series:	Action Classics , #25
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Howard Pyle (March 5, 1853 – November 9, 1911) was an American illustrator and author, primarily of books for young people. A native of Wilmington, Delaware, he spent the last year of his life in Florence, Italy.

Pyle was the son of William Pyle and Margaret Churchman Painter. As a child he attended private schools. He was interested in drawing and writing from a very young age. He was an indifferent student, but his parents—particularly his mother—encouraged him to study art. For three years he studied at the studio of F. A. Van der Weilen in Philadelphia. Aside from a few lessons at the Art Students League of New York, this constituted the whole of his artistic training.

He married the singer Anne Poole on April 12, 1881. The couple had seven children.

In 1910 Pyle and his family went to Italy, where he planned to study the old masters. Suffering poor health, he felt depressed and drained of energy. After one year in the country, he suffered a kidney infection and died in Florence at the age of 58.