11 h 51 minAudiobook9 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 11 h 51 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
In the greenwood, an outlaw helps the poor, defies the greedy, and keeps the sheriff of Nottingham guessing.
Robin Hood lives among loyal friends, robs the rich, and outwits the sheriff. But these old poems and ballads reveal a rougher figure: a devout, quick-tempered yeoman. Compiled by Joseph Ritson, this collection brings you close to the verses in which the famous outlaw’s story first takes shape.
A Gest of Robyn Hode anchors the collection with a long narrative woven from older tales. Shorter ballads bring encounters with strong strangers, comic brawls, disguises, rescues, and revenge. Alongside them, Ritson’s introduction, life of Robin Hood, and notes explore the legend with a scholar’s insistence on accuracy rather than guesswork.
What you’ll discover
- The legend’s long spine Follow A Gest of Robyn Hode through linked tales of the outlaw’s world.
- Strangers on the road Meet the strong strangers who challenge Robin in the shorter ballads.
- More than comic brawls Discover darker tales where disguise, rescue, trickery, and revenge bring danger close.
- A scholar tests tradition Explore Ritson’s notes and biography, where careful comparison matters more than guesswork.
- Poetry with a pulse Read the short stanzas aloud and feel their steady beat and returning phrases.
Who will love it
This book will delight readers who love old English ballads, forest adventure, tricks played on proud sheriffs and bishops, and the pleasure of tracing how a legend was built.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Ritson gathers every scrap he can find
- The Life gives Robin a birth and a grave
- Old chroniclers and poets vouch for him
- The Lytell Geste tells one long tale
- Courtesy and cunning drive the early poems
- Martin Parker adds a chronicle voice
- Part two gathers the ballads of the garland
- Strong strangers become new companions
- Disguise and rescue save the poor
- Kings, customs and afterlife fill the notes
Formats and delivery
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- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 9 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
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- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
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Robin des Bois
by Joseph Ritson (compilateur)
A penniless knight borrows four hundred pounds from an outlaw who feeds him first in Barnsdale.
Medium level10–20 hours to readfrançais
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In short
A penniless knight rides through Barnsdale Forest with ten shillings in his purse. An outlaw feeds him, lends him four hundred pounds, and sends him off with a servant and new clothes.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Ritson gathers every scrap he can find
Joseph Ritson was an antiquary who wanted every surviving poem about Robin Hood in one place. The volume opens with a short Life and a set of notes, then prints the poems in two parts.
He tells the reader plainly that his materials are uneven. Some are good, some are middling, and some are bad, but he offers the best he could find and names his sources. Each claim in the Life is numbered, and each number leads to a note that shows the writer, the page or the manuscript behind it.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 9 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- Language
- français
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Cite this edition
Robin Hood. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/robin-hood.
Robin Hood. (2026). Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/robin-hood
Robin Hood. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/robin-hood.
@book{anonymous2026robin,
title = {Robin Hood},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/robin-hood}
}
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What is Ritson's Robin Hood about?
It collects the surviving old poems, songs and ballads about the outlaw Robin Hood, preceded by a short Life and extensive notes, with an appendix and glossary afterward. Together they show how the legend was told and sung over several centuries.
Is Robin Hood a real historical person?
Ritson gathers chronicles, poems and traditions that name Robin Hood from the fourteenth century on, but they disagree on dates and details. He sets out the evidence and doubts openly, so readers can judge for themselves.
Who are Little John, Friar Tuck and Maid Marian?
Little John is Robin's closest companion and lieutenant. Friar Tuck is the fighting churchman of the band, and Maid Marian is Robin's lady, who appears mainly in plays, later ballads and the May games described in the notes.
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