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Audiobook edition · 9 h 5 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
In a country divided by war, a black arrow makes a young man question the guardian who rules his life.
England is torn between York and Lancaster. Dick Shelton lives under the power of Sir Daniel Brackley, a knight who changes sides for his own gain. When forest outlaws send an arrow bearing a charge against Sir Daniel, Dick sets out to learn whom he can trust.
On the road, Dick meets Joanna Sedley, disguised as a boy to escape a marriage arranged for profit. Sir Daniel's men search the countryside, where any village may hide a friend or a spy. In Robert Louis Stevenson's adventure, flight and pursuit test loyalty, courage and the hope of love.
What you’ll discover
- Warnings from the forest Meet Ellis Duckworth's outlaw band, whose black arrows carry accusations against those who wrong them.
- A disguise with stakes Follow Joanna as she hides her identity to escape a future chosen for someone else's profit.
- An unlikely road companion Get to know Lawless, a boastful outlaw whose rough humour sits beside bravery and danger.
- Chases beyond the trees Move from forest roads to Shoreby's inns, ships and harbour taverns as the pursuit unfolds.
- Loyalty under pressure Watch Dick weigh loyalty against justice in a world where powerful men trade sides for gain.
Who will love it
Readers drawn to outlaws, disguises and midnight escapes will love this tale. It suits fans of Robin Hood and Stevenson's sea stories who enjoy young heroes finding courage, love and conscience.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A black arrow kills an old archer
- Dick helps a runaway boy cross the fen
- The outlaws of the greenwood shoot Selden
- A leper with a bell frightens the boys
- Dick and Joanna escape the Moat House
- A stolen ship carries Dick toward Joanna
- Friars in the enemy's house
- Loyalty shifts with every wind of war
- Revenge and mercy pull at a young man
- A bold adventure told with songs and disguises
Who’s who
- Dick SheltonA brave, honest young ward of Sir Daniel who wants to learn the truth about his father's death and win Joanna.
- Joanna SedleyA rich young orphan, taken by Sir Daniel and hidden in boy's clothes, who wants freedom and a husband of her own choosing.
- Sir Daniel BrackleyThe Knight of Tunstall, a cunning guardian who changes sides to grow richer and fears the men he has wronged.
- Ellis DuckworthThe outlaw leader behind the Black Arrow, ruined by Sir Daniel and driven by a long wish for revenge.
- Will LawlessA mocking, wine-loving outlaw, once a friar, archer and sailor, who helps Dick for sport and loyalty.
- Sir Oliver OatesSir Daniel's frightened priest, clever with law and pen, who is haunted by a guilty secret about Dick's father.
- Bennet HatchSir Daniel's hard bailiff, loyal to his master yet fond of Dick and sorry for what he has done.
- Lord FoxhamJoanna's noble guardian, who watches Shoreby for the Yorkists and wants to win her back from Sir Daniel.
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La freccia nera: una storia delle due rose
by Robert Louis Stevenson · 1883
A black arrow kills an old archer among his cabbages, and Dick Shelton must choose whom to trust.
Medium level5–10 hours to readItaliano
Excellent
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In short
What would you do if a black arrow killed an old soldier among his cabbages, and a rhyme on the church door named the next men to die? That is how The Black Arrow opens, in the village of Tunstall, in the reign of Henry the Sixth.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A black arrow kills an old archer
The bell at Tunstall Moat House rings at the wrong hour. Sir Daniel Brackley, lord of the place, calls every man who can draw a bow, because a battle is near. Nobody knows which king he means to fight for. A farmer jokes that Sir Daniel goes to bed a Lancastrian and wakes up a Yorkist.
Young Dick Shelton, the knight's ward, defends his guardian. The bailiff Bennet Hatch takes him to old Nick Appleyard, a veteran of Agincourt who is digging his garden. Appleyard warns that hidden archers have disturbed the birds. Hatch laughs, and a moment later an arrow goes clean through the old man's back.
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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
- First published
- 1883
- Language
- Italiano
- Reading time
- 5 h 55 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Stevenson, Robert Louis. The Black Arrow: A Tale of the Two Roses. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-black-arrow-a-tale-of-the-two-roses.
Stevenson, R. L. (2026). The black arrow: A tale of the two roses. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-black-arrow-a-tale-of-the-two-roses (Original work published 1883)
Stevenson, Robert Louis. The Black Arrow: A Tale of the Two Roses. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-black-arrow-a-tale-of-the-two-roses.
@book{stevenson2026black,
author = {Stevenson, Robert Louis},
title = {The Black Arrow: A Tale of the Two Roses},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-black-arrow-a-tale-of-the-two-roses},
note = {First published 1883}
}
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What is The Black Arrow about?
It follows young Dick Shelton in the Wars of the Roses as an outlaw band called the Black Arrow hunts his guardian, Sir Daniel Brackley. Dick seeks the truth about his father's death and fights to win the girl he loves.
Who is John Amend-All in The Black Arrow?
John Amend-All is the name signed on the black arrows and rhymes that threaten Sir Daniel and his men. It stands for the outlaw fellowship led by Ellis Duckworth, and for the wish to put right the wrongs done to common people.
Is The Black Arrow based on a true story?
The tale is fiction, but it is set in the real Wars of the Roses of the fifteenth century. Actual figures such as Richard of Gloucester appear, and the shifting loyalties of lords match the real struggle between Lancaster and York.
The author
Robert Louis Stevenson
1850–1894 · Scottish novelist and poet
Robert Louis Stevenson was a Scottish novelist and poet, born in Edinburgh in 1850. He wrote Treasure Island (1883), A Child’s Garden of Verses (1885), and Kidnapped and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886). He settled in Samoa in 1890 and died there in 1894.
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