Reviews for Robin Hood

The average rating for Robin Hood based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2016-02-04 00:00:00 Michael Brummet I love any book that is said to be "the last word" in anything and I love books guaranteed to piss off people who have no better way to spend their time than arguing about fictional characters and how they're really not fictional at all. This book satisfied me on both counts. It's pretty definitive and straightforward and it probably infuriated the whole Robin-Hood-was-a-real-guy crowd. I'm not ruining anything by saying that Holt is cautiously inconclusive, as any investigation into things like this must be. There may never be a true "last word" since there simply isn't enough evidence, but Holt does his damndest and it's hard to argue with his conclusions, not matter how wishy-washy they must be by necessity. So, maybe there was a historical basis for Robin Hood? Maybe there were many Robin Hoods? That's the more interesting take-away, that the title was simply an archetype for a particular brand of yeoman bandito. The only thing that matters here, since a definitive answer will probably never be found, is the journey towards ambiguity. Holt dissects the RH source material, discusses its geographical and historical context, goes very much into the evolution of the myth and, most especially, the audience for these stories, the main impetus for its change over the centuries. Good shit for the casual historian who knows good and well that "last words" are anything but.

Review # 2 was written on 2008-10-16 00:00:00 Eduard Hiti The book gives a in-depth look at the legends surronding Robin Hood. Holt also looks to see if there is any truth behind the legends. He even suggests that Tuck could have had basis in a real person. Holt raises several interesting ideas. If you are fan of the Robin of Sherwood series, you'll like this book, for it seems likely that creators read the earlier edition.