The Scarlet Forest A Tale of Robin Hood 2nd ed.

by A. E. Chandler

Overview

You are invited underneath the great greenwood tree to hear how a young man became a hero, and a hero became a legend. When Robin takes a shortcut through Sherwood Forest, the path he chooses leads not to Nottingham's archery contest, but to a life on the run from the law. Unable now to become a knight, and joined by his childhood friend Marian, Robin Hood leads the most infamous outlaw band ever to evade the king and his sheriff.

Blending true history with new stories, popular inaccuracies, and some almost forgotten medieval legends, The Scarlet Forest: A Tale of Robin Hood brings a new life to the greenwood, which here feels as fresh as it does traditional. Drawing on an academic background in medieval English studies at the University of Nottingham, A. E. Chandler captivates with this unique and nuanced reinterpretation of Robin Hood's struggles and adventures. The forest is waiting.

This expanded second edition contains bonus material, including a translation of one of the only five surviving medieval Robin Hood "ballads," two medieval recipes, book club questions, and a historical note.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780992053932
Publisher:	A. E. Chandler
Publication date:	09/29/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	306
File size:	560 KB

About the Author

A. E. Chandler holds an MA with Merit from the University of Nottingham, where she wrote her dissertation on the social history behind Robin Hood. Living in England, and travelling in Europe, Asia, and Africa have also contributed to her stories and characters - she has been chased by a camel rider through the Sahara Desert, skated down a volcano in Sicily, been kidnapped by a miller in a French forest, and gotten unintentionally locked inside of a medieval prison. Chandler has had short stories, poetry, and articles published, in addition to her books Into the World, Questionable Quizzes, and the bestselling The Scarlet Forest: A Tale of Robin Hood. Currently, she lives in Calgary, where she is a visiting expert with the Glenbow Museum's military collection, and writes "Original History": historical and contemporary fiction about little-known people or events surrounding popular history.

Read an Excerpt

The twilight framed a grand sight: the high Sheriff of Nottingham blindfolded and clutching a sack of silver, being led through the forest by Robin Hood.

The winter came and went. The prices on the heads of the Sherwood men grew. Robin’s alone was valued at five hundred pound, an amount otherwise unheard of — unless sone were purchasing cattle from a prodigal butcher.

The band left their moss cots under the stars to shelter in Barnesdale’s caves, using deer pelts — the fur facing inward — for blankets, and every morning gathering ’round a bonfire to break their fast.

Whilst the outlaws rested themselves for more adventures, they heard many tales from Anne. One of their favourites ran thus:

“Come and listen, yeomen all, to hear how a nobleman hunts his deer.”

Table of Contents

CONTENTS

PART ONE

Chapter One . . . . . . "Oak" 5

Chapter Two . . . . . . "Fir" 22

Chapter Three . . . . . . "Birch" 32

Chapter Four . . . . . . "Aspen" 40

Chapter Five . . . . . . "Alder" 60

Chapter Six . . . . . . "Holm" 70

Chapter Seven . . . . . . "Poplar" 80

PART TWO

Chapter Eight . . . . . . "Willow" 89

Chapter Nine . . . . . . "Elm"  96

Chapter Ten . . . . . . "Plane"  103

Chapter Eleven . . . . . . "Ash"  110

Chapter Twelve . . . . . . "Boxwood" 127

PART THREE

Chapter Thirteen . . . . . . "Chestnut" 148

Chapter Fourteen . . . . . . "Linden" 161

Chapter Fifteen . . . . . . "Laurel" 171

Chapter Sixteen . . . . . . "Maple" 186

PART FOUR

Chapter Seventeen . . . . . . "Thorn" 198

Chapter Eighteen . . . . . . "Beech" 217

Chapter Nineteen . . . . . . "Hazel" 234

Chapter Twenty . . . . . . "Yew" 249

PART FIVE

Chapter Twenty-One . . . . . . "Cornel" 263

END MATTER

Historical Note . . . . . . 278

Select Bibliography for Historical Note . . . . . .  284

Robin Hood and the Potter Medieval Ballad Translation . . . . . . 285

Two Recipes in Medieval Calligraphy . . . . . .  299

Book Club Questions . . . . . .  300

Glossary . . . . . .  304

Editorial Reviews

"I especially liked the valuable historical context, and interwoven historical events. It is also great to see such a strong female character." - Dr. Gwilym Dodd, medieval historian at the University of Nottingham

"In this retelling of the tale of Robin Hood, Amy Chandler subtly weaves together the recognizable aspects of the legend with real historical detail regarding such themes as social inequality, anticlericalism, and the nature of law and criminal justice in the Middle Ages." - Dr. Mark Konnert, University of Calgary's Head of the Department of History

"A. E. Chandler also wrote her graduate dissertation about Robin Hood, so don't miss her historical notes at the end. . . . [I]t felt like I was being told a story while sitting under the stars by the fire. . . . I fell in love with Robin Hood . . . . This is a wonderful read." - Janice Ottersberg, Historical Novel Society

From the Publisher